OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Consumers will continue to take advantage of new capabilities and platforms to access content and services, making it even more critical to understand the dynamics of convergence, according to a new report released Thursday by the CRTC.
Navigating Convergence II: Charting Canadian Communications Change and Regulatory Implications identifies trends in network developments and content consumption that could disrupt traditional regulatory approaches to achieving policy objectives. Using independent research and views from CRTC stakeholders such as consumers, public-interest advocates and members of the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, it also examines developments in technology and business models that raise important considerations for consumers. The first edition of the report was published in February 2010.
According to the report, the development and adoption of new devices, products and services is accelerating in Canada. In 2010, 24% of Anglophones and 20% of Francophones watched some of their television programming on-line, including newscasts, sports clips and shows, which were offered by Canadian and foreign services, a trend that is expected to continue. As consumers access more on-line content and services, traffic over Canadian Internet networks is projected to quadruple from 2009 to 2014.
Canadians are also increasingly adopting mobile devices, which can connect to the Internet and deliver content, information and social media services. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of wireless subscribers is expected to rise from 25.8 million to nearly 30 million, with half of them owning a smart phone. At the same time, mobile Internet subscriptions in Canada are predicted to increase significantly from 5.5 million in 2011 to 14 million in 2015.
The report also details how consolidation has increased in the communications industry. Despite this trend, the report continues, the introduction of new services, such as those that deliver television programming on-line or through phone lines (IPTV), and the emergence of new service providers in the wireless market create competitive options for consumers.
The first section of the report examines the evolution of networks, including both fixed and mobile; the second section considers the impact of convergence on consumer behaviours and the associated challenges with the creation of Canadian content; and the final section outlines challenges and opportunities faced by consumers in the changing and increasingly complex world of convergence.
