OTTAWA – Wireless phone customers in Canada numbered 19.3 million at the end of the third quarter of 2007, ended September 30, says the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.
In the third quarter of the year, wireless service providers (Bell Mobility, Telus, Rogers Wireless, Virgin Mobile, MTS, SaskTel, Videotron, etc.) reported the addition of approximately 523,000 new subscribers, “which marks the first time that net new customer additions exceeded a half-million subscribers outside of a fourth quarter,” noted the association.
What that means is that now Canada’s national wireless penetration rate has surpassed the 60% benchmark.
And, recent CWTA research suggests wireless penetration in major urban centres has exceeded 70%, with some greater metropolitan areas approaching the 80% mark. As well, approximately 80% of all wireless phone customers are on postpaid plans, with the remaining 20% opting for prepaid service.
"Canadians remain among the world’s highest users of wireless voice services at an average of 400 minutes per month," said CWTA president and CEO Peter Barnes. "As well, the strong customer growth the industry continues to experience is directly mirrored by Canadians’ rapid adoption of wireless data services such as text messaging, e-mail, mobile web browsing and a vast array of multimedia entertainment content."
