The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Sector



The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Sector

Question 1

Nearly half of the labour force in Canada works in occupations involving the collection and processing of information. In a society in which information has become a commodity, communications provide a vital link that can mean the difference between success or failure. Telecommunications is a fundamental infrastructure of the Canadian economy and society. For these reasons, an efficient and dynamic telecommunications industry is necessary to ensure economic prosperity. Deregulating the Long Distance Industry is the only sure way to ensure that prosperity.

Telecommunications in Canada, which include services and manufacturing, employ more than 125,000 people and generate over $21 billion in revenues (Dept. of Communications). Telecommunications helps to overcome the obstacles of distance in a vast country such as Canada, permitting remote communities to benefit from services taken for granted in large urban centers. More than 98 percent of Canadian households have a telephone, and there are more than 15 million telephone lines for a population of nearly 27 million (Dept. of Communications). It is therefore not surprising that Canadians are among the biggest users of telecommunications in the world. For example, in 1999, Canadians made more than three billion long-distance calls (Dept. of Communications).

Innovations made possible through telecommunications have also contributed greatly to the growth of the Canadian telecommunications industry. For example, the total value of the major telephone companies' investment in their facilities rose from $17.8 billion in 1979 to $40.3 billion in 1990. In the same year, Canadian telecommunications companies reported more than $15 billion in revenues, accounting for an estimated 2.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In addition, in 1990 the telecom industry achieved a real growth rate (after inflation) of 8.6 percent compared to 0.3 percent for the Canadian economy as a whole. Telecommunications is also Canada's leading high-technology industry; its Research and Development costs of $1.4 billion in 1990 represent about 24 percent of total expenditures in this area. This shows how telecommunications has come to play such a vital role in our society, in addition to being our most important high technology industry.

Question 2

Changes are constantly taking place in the telecom industry. These changes are caused by rapid progress in telecommunications technology, growing demand for new services, the globalization of trade and manufacturing operations, and increasing competition worldwide. It is also important to note that the Canadian telecommunications market of $15 billion is small compared to those of our major trading partners, the United States ($185 billion), the European Community ($125 billion) and Japan ($65 billion) (Blackwell, 1993). These factors were a mounting source of pressure on the previous regulatory structure of the Canadian telecom system. As regulation was eased in other countries around the world, Canada was beginning to lose its competitiveness. The USA and Britain have made strategic decisions to increase competition in telecommunications services and to modernize their "information infrastructures". Other countries such as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are following their lead. In order to not be left ...