Ottawa, ON – May 11, 2017 – IPv6 adoption and broadband speeds increase compared to previously reported results; increased focus needed to ensure gains are enjoyed by all Canadians
Ottawa, ON – May 11, 2017 – The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has released the latest report on how Canadians experience Internet speed and quality across the country.
The report was based on results of crowdsourced tests from across Canada, including individual commercial, residential, and institutional Internet users.
Download the full report from at https://www.cira.ca/build-better-internet/internet-performance-report.
Key Findings from the report:
- 18.2 percent of Canadian network destinations are now IPv6 capable, up from just 2.6 percent at the start of 2016. This is largely due to both Telus and Rogers introducing this technology on their networks during the year. Canada now ranks 14th worldwide, but trails significantly behind the U.S., where 33.3 percent of network connections are IPv6 capable. Adopting this new standard is critical to Canada’s global technology competitiveness.
- The average download speed measured was 21.7 Mbps, a five percent increase over the same period last year. The month-to-month variability is relatively high, but the upward trend is clear. There was an even bigger improvement in upload speed, to 9.0 Mbps in Q4 2016 versus 7.4 Mbps in Q4 2015 – a 21 percent improvement.
- Internet speeds can fluctuate wildly, even over the course of a day. In one example, CIRA ran a series of connection tests in a New Brunswick home over six days. While top speeds met the plan the subscriber had paid for, those speeds could vary by more than 50 Mbps from one hour to another.
- This report included commentary from the Internet policy group, Open Media, who remind us nearly one-in-five Canadian households have no residential Internet connection. To help eliminate this digital divide, they urge the CRTC to mandate a basic Internet package with 5/5 Mbps symmetric speeds and minimum quality of service guarantees across the country.
- Rogers Communications was also invited to comment based on their roll out of IPv6 throughout their network. They pointed to their ongoing investment into their infrastructure, including Gigabit internet, DOCSIS 3.1, and IPv6, as evidence of their commitment to bringing Canadians the world-class technology they need to succeed at work and at play.
Quotes:
“It’s encouraging to see the needle shift in the right direction on several key benchmarks. IPv6 adoption is particularly critical, because demand for IP addresses is skyrocketing from smart devices and the Internet of Things, and the IPv4 well will soon run dry. Continuous improvement in the speed and quality of our Internet connectivity will be instrumental for Canada to fully participate in the digital future – one we’re working for all Canadians to enjoy.”
- Byron Holland, President and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority
Additional resources
- Take the test – Users can test their connection’s performance and help build-out this data set at http://performance.cira.ca.
- Download the full report from https://www.cira.ca/build-better-internet/internet-performance-report.
About the Canadian Internet Registration Authority
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. CIRA also develops technologies and services that help support its goal of building a better online Canada. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing ccTLDs, a high-performance global DNS network, and one of the world’s most advanced back-end registry solutions.
