CRTC Releases Annual Report on Canadian Communications Industry

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission issued the annual Communications Monitoring Report today, presenting growth figures for Canada's telecommunications and broadcasting industries in 2009.

General trends indicated a continuous increase in mobile and broadband internet usage, while conventional television and radio stations saw a decline in revenue last year.

As technological convergence continues to evolve in the 21st century, Canadians are increasingly using mobile and Internet services to communicate and access broadcasting content. By the end of the year, there were 23.8 million wireless subscribers and 8.3 million broadband Internet subscribers.

In the broadcasting industry, Canada saw revenue growth of 3%. This growth was primarily attributed to the specialty and pay television sector. In addition, Internet usage saw unprecedented levels of growth, as many citizens reported watching television and listening to the radio online.

The telecommunications industry reported revenue growth of 1.8%, reaching a total of $41 billion for 2009. Broadband internet usage could be seen in nearly every home, and internet access through mobile phones also increased by 5%.

To read more and view the Communications Monitoring Report, click here.