As the global telecommunication industry undertakes a transformative shift, Canada finds itself keeping pace in the 5G race. Canada’s 5G mobile connections are expected to account for approximately 95% of the country’s total infrastructure by 2030, signifying a revolutionary era in the country’s connected landscape.
The continuous expansion of 5G networks across the nation is driving this surge, delivering wider coverage and unprecedented internet speeds. This significant advancement will unlock new economic opportunities, with PwC projecting that 5G will catalyze an approximate growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of USD 34 billion annually by 2035 in Western Canada alone.
This economic boost reflects the transformative potential of 5G technology, promising to revolutionize Canadian industries and bridge connectivity gaps.
As Canada navigates the future of its connectivity landscape, its 5G deployment faces both opportunities and challenges that would significantly impact industries.
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Canada’s Connectivity Landscape
The 5G rollout has become a central priority in Canada’s telecommunication industry. In 2025, Opensignal, a leading provider of independent insights into consumer connectivity experiences, released the key performance areas of excellence of Canadian telecom operators.
Rogers Communications has established itself as the leader in network reliability and consistency, which are the main areas for user experience. The company also boasts the fastest average upload speeds in Canada for overall and 5G users, demonstrating 12.4 Mbps upload speeds and 29 Mbps over 5G connections.
Bell Canada topped the best mobile gaming experience over 5G networks and maintained its leadership in 5G download speeds, with 189.1 Mbps.
Meanwhile, TELUS has made significant strides in 5G availability, with users connected to 5G by 14.2% of their time. TELUS also matched Bell in the overall download speed experience.
With fierce competition driving Canada’s 5G evolution, the country’s standalone 5G network market is projected to reach a revenue of USD 1,127.8 million by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 60.1% from 2025 to 2030, according to Grandview Research.
Additionally, Ericsson’s ConsumerLab report revealed that addressing the knowledge gap, delivering a reliable network experience, and demonstrating proof of value are the key priorities of Canadian service providers to meet the ever-evolving user demands. The commitment of Canadian service providers to deliver cutting-edge innovations to improve user experience reflects the country’s willpower to drive nationwide digital transformation to enhance the quality of life.
“The 5G rollout has become a central priority in Canada’s telecommunication industry.”
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Navigating the Challenges in the Canadian Telecom Sector
Canada’s journey towards the nationwide adoption of 5G was marked by remarkable progress. However, the country still faces significant challenges, particularly in keeping pace in the global race for 5G deployment.
Despite advancements in network infrastructure, Canada’s 5G download speeds remain lower in comparison to most Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Opensignal revealed that Canada’s high 4G speeds and low 5G speeds have resulted in an uplift of 2.7 times in 2024. Canada’s performance gap is attributed to the delayed allocation of the 3.5 GHz spectrum, which can significantly hinder the rollout of next-generation networks. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic had already caused a six-month delay in a planned 5G spectrum allocation in the country.
PwC also noted that Canada trails years behind other G7 countries, including Australia and South Korea, in allocating mid- and high-band frequencies. Canada’s 5G state was further complicated by the Canadian government’s decision in 2022 to ban Chinese telecommunication giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE from deploying 5G networks over national security concerns. The decision follows the deteriorating relationship between Canada and China after the arrest of Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, on Canadian soil in 2018 on an extradition request by the United States.
Although Huawei has long been a key player in establishing Canada’s wireless networks, the ban required companies with existing Huawei or ZTE equipment to remove it by the end of 2027.
These setbacks could have potentially contributed to user experiences that fall short of 5G’s promise, with reports of high latency, buffering, and slow download and upload speeds.
Despite these challenges, Canada has made significant developments in 5G coverage. By December 2024, 5G networks covered approximately 87% of Canada’s population. While this expansion is noteworthy, the country must optimize spectrum usage and bridge the performance gap to deliver the promise of 5G.
“Canada’s journey towards the nationwide adoption of 5G was marked by remarkable progress. However, the country still faces significant challenges, particularly in keeping pace in the global race for 5G deployment.”
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A Leap Towards Canadian Connectivity
Canada’s remarkable advancements in 5G technology in recent years demonstrate a positive outlook for the future of the country’s connectivity landscape. In 2024, Bell Canada deployed the 3800 MHz spectrum in key areas in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, delivering 5G+, Canada’s fastest mobile technology to date.
In a significant accomplishment, Bell, in collaboration with Samsung, was the first North American carrier to successfully conduct a 5-component carrier aggregation (5CCA) test on a smartphone over a live production network using the 3800 MHz spectrum. The test resulted in over 2Gbps download speeds, setting a remarkable feat for Canada’s mobile speeds.
In 2024, Freedom Mobile upgraded its wireless network in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia by establishing nearly 180 5G sites.
Rogers Communications, another major player in Canada’s telecom sector, completed the country’s first live nationwide test of 5G network slicing technology. The initiative, in partnership with Ericsson, was tested in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver in 2024. Rogers’ commitment to expanding 5G coverage continued with the activation of five new cellular towers along British Columbia’s Highway 16 in 2025, providing 911 access to travelers and 5G wireless coverage to its customers. The project is a critical step in closing the wireless gap between Prince Rupert and Prince George, ultimately enhancing connectivity services in Canada’s rural and remote areas.
To diversify the applications of 5G technology, TELUS launched a private 5G network at Calgary International Airport (YYC), making it the first Canadian airport to deliver a high-speed wireless system, strengthening network connectivity for overall airport operations. With the rollout set to begin on May 1, 2025, the initiative enables TELUS to contribute to advancing Canada’s critical infrastructure in significant locations.
More recently, Bell Canada and Nokia expanded their 5G collaboration for Cloud and Open RAN deployment. The multi-year contract extension is critical to Bell’s broader Open RAN vision, promising to deliver improved network agility, scalability, and efficiency.
“Canada’s remarkable advancements in 5G technology in recent years demonstrate a positive outlook for the future of the country’s connectivity landscape.”
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Looking ahead, Canada’s recent advancements in the widespread adoption of 5G technology will drive the country’s digitally connected future. Continued collaboration between the government, telecom operators, and technology partners is needed to accelerate the progress and developments made.
The promise of 5G transcends beyond faster mobile and internet speeds; it has the potential to revolutionize Canada’s industries, enhance services, and improve the quality of life of its residents.
As Canada continues to move forward in the 5G journey, the coming years will be critical in determining if the country can keep pace in the global race of adopting next-generation network technologies.
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