5G Rollout in Canada: The Best and Worst Regions

In 2024, Canada’s path to nationwide 5G coverage continued to gain momentum, with major telecommunications companies expanding their networks across the country. The nation’s 5G network covers approximately 75% of the population, catering to densely populated urban areas. However, the rollout is still disproportionately impacting coverage in rural and remote areas. This guide provides an update on the 5G rollout in Canada.

Canada’s Best 5G Coverage

As Canada’s most populous province, Ontario has benefited from the most extensive 5G rollout. Residents in major cities like Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton enjoy comprehensive coverage, fast internet speeds, and stable connections. However, northern Ontario still lags behind the south in regards to coverage.

Other provinces that benefit from wide coverage are British Columbia and Alberta. In addition to their urban populations, the locations of major transportation corridors within the provinces have also helped the three major telecom providers — Bell, Rogers, and Telus — from making the infrastructure upgrades.

The Worst 5G Coverage

In that regard, the provinces that are lagging behind in connectivity are faced with unique challenges relating to their remote locations, difficult geographical terrains, and smaller economies. The provinces with the least 5G connectivity are Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

According to a recent report on the impact of 5G on Canada’s digital economy, Canada is also at a disadvantage compared to other OECD nations due to its reliance on low-band networks. This has reduced the performance of its 5G network, making it the 14th of 25 leading nations in speed rankings. 

Impact on Economic Sectors

The spread of 5G technology is set to revolutionize various sectors across Canada. These include healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and education. The advances will allow for real-time data collection and analysis, as well as improved connectivity between consumers and businesses. Entertainment is also set to benefit greatly with improved speeds.

With the rise in high-definition music and television streaming services, there is an increased need for near-zero-latency streams. Huge online industries like iGaming will benefit from the improvements, with free slots in Canada among the most popular games that could be made more accessible. This is important, as these feature-rich, cinematic visuals that rely on network stability to deliver the best consumer experience.

Challenges and Future Outlook

According to Ericsson, one of the few service providers tasked with updating Canada’s telecoms network technology, there are several issues facing consumers that have hampered the adoption of 5G. This includes a lack of knowledge around 5G’s capabilities, the use of non-5G-capable devices, or perceived coverage issues.

The report argues that to increase adoption and satisfaction among consumers, companies must ensure 5G’s availability across regional and rural areas. This will require developers and telecommunication providers to overcome the high infrastructure costs and spectrum allocation issues. Its adoption will also boost the consumption of data-heavy media.

Other challenges relate to misconceptions surrounding 5G’s impacts on health, indicating the importance of public education campaigns. Despite the challenges, the Canadian government has pledged to achieve 98% nationwide 5G coverage by 2026 and 100% connectivity by 2030. By partnering with the private sector, the government has incentivized rural development,