Giganomics Consulting Inc.

A report released today by Mark H. Goldberg & Associates and Giganomics Consulting Inc. tackles the issue of the state of Canada’s broadband infrastructure.  A copy of the report is available through this link.

This extensive report (tipping the scales at 100+ pages) provides a wealth of information on the country’s broadband infrastructure, how it developed and where it stands relative to other countries. 

Highlights of the numerous statistics include:

• Some 70% of Canadian households have adopted broadband services, an 8^th place ranking among OECD countries;
• 94% of Canadian households can access broadband services based on wireline – with a high degree of overlap between DSL and cable facilities, while virtually all households can subscribe to wireless (e.g., satellite) broadband;

• Canada has among the least expensive broadband entry-level service offers – second only to the United States according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU);
• The proportion of Canada’s internet connections of 5 Mbps or greater reached 27% in the second quarter of 2009, according to Akamai Technologies Inc.; putting Canada in 10^th place among the more than 200 countries studied;

• Canada achieved 7^th place on the LECG/Nokia Siemens Networks Connectivity Scorecard and 9^th place on the Economist/IBM E-Readiness index, measures that combine multiple indicators of internet infrastructure and use.

Frequently cited OECD results on the relative price and speed of broadband services are not reliable because of methodological problems discussed previously on this site and as noted in the report. 

The report also notes:

"To be constructive in our own analysis, we have focused on the broader issues rather than any particular piece of research. In that regard, to help simplify the overwhelming amount of research that is available, we want to focus on answering a few simple, yet key questions:

1.         Is broadband available to Canadians? If not, why not?

2.         If it is available, do Canadians adopt the technology? If not, why not?

International comparisons can help us understand whether we lag or lead in terms of availability or adoption, but it is these questions that should be the focus of debate."

This new report provides a strong foundation on which to move the debate forward.