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List of mobile network operators in Canada

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This is a list of mobile network operators in Canada.

As of Q3 2015, there are over 29 million wireless subscriptions in Canada. Approximately 90% of cell phone users subscribe to one of the three largest Canadian telecom companies (Rogers Wireless, Telus Mobility and Bell Mobility) or one of their subsidiary brands.

Mobile network operators

This list is ordered from largest to smallest by the number of current subscriptions.

Parent Company Brands and subsidiaries % of Canadian population covered Subscriptions (2015) Blended ARPU monthly (2014)
Postpaid Prepaid Total
Rogers Communications Rogers Wireless, Fido, Chatr, Cityfone, Mobilicity LTE: 86%[1]
HSPA+: 82%
GSM: 97%[2] 		8,271,000 1,606,000 9,877,000 $59.16
Telus[note 1] Telus Mobility, Koodo Mobile, Mike, Clearnet, Public Mobile LTE: 91%
HSPA+: 96%
[3][note 2] 		7,352,000 1,105,000 8,457,000 $63.74
Bell Canada Bell Mobility, Virgin Mobile, Solo Mobile LTE: 93%
HSPA+: 98%
[4][note 2] 		7,375,416 870,415 8,245,831 $63.09
Shaw Communications Wind Mobile HSPA+: 44%[5][better source needed] — 940,000[6] $38.00
SaskTel SaskTel Mobility Saskatchewan — 615,694Increase $64.39
Vidéotron Vidéotron Mobile Québec and Ottawa — 742,500[7] $69.44
Manitoba Telecom Services MTS Mobility Manitoba 409,084 65,517 478,846[8] $59.70
Eastlink Eastlink Wireless Atlantic Canada —
Tbaytel Tbaytel Mobility Thunder Bay —
Ice Wireless Ice Wireless, Sugar Mobile Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut —
References:[9]
  1. ^ Telus numbers include those of recently acquired of Public and may be different from CWTA-reported.
  2. ^ a b Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility have a multiple operator core network agreement to provide a common radio network to the customer (distinct from a roaming arrangement, where the radio networks are separate). Bell builds most of its towers in Eastern Canada, while most of Telus' towers are in Western Canada.

In addition, as of October 22, 2013 the following companies expressed their interest in becoming mobile carriers as part of Canada's 2014 700 MHz spectrum auction by becoming provisional bidders: Feenix Wireless Inc, Catalyst Capital Group, Vecima Networks, Novus Wireless, and a numbered Alberta company controlled by Corridor Communications.[10]

Market share

Market share of Canadian mobile network operators in Q1 2013
Telus Mobility
 
 28.51%
Bell Mobility
 
 28.40%
Rogers Wireless
 
 21.86%
Fido Solutions
 
 12.28%
SaskTel Mobility
 
 2.25%
Wind Mobile
 
 2.23%
MTS Mobility
 
 0.83%
Videotron Mobile
 
 0.56%
Bell Aliant
 
 0.53%
Note that Fido Solutions is listed as a separate entity from Rogers Wireless. Mobilicity and Public Mobile are excluded due to lack of Q1 2013 numbers.

Mobile networks

Operator Technology Frequency Ownership Roaming
GSM
 CDMA iDEN
 HSPA+ LTE
 PCS
 SMR
 AWS
Airtel Wireless No No Yes No No No No No Airtel Wireless Ltd. None
Bell Mobility No Yes (shut down Jan 1, 2017) No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Bell Canada Enterprises Telus Mobility
Eastlink Roaming[note 1] No No Yes Yes Roaming[note 1] No Yes Eastlink Rogers Wireless / Bell Mobility
Fleetcom No No Yes No No No No No Fleetcom Inc. None
Ice Wireless Yes No No Yes No Yes No No Ice Wireless Rogers Wireless / Videotron
Keewaytinook Mobile Yes No No No No No No No Keewaytinook Okimakanak's (KO) Kuhkenah Network Rogers Wireless
Lynx Mobility Yes No No No No Yes No No Lynx Mobility Bell Mobility / Telus Mobility
Mobilicity Roaming[note 1] No No Yes No Roaming[note 1] No Yes Rogers Communications Rogers Wireless
MTS Mobility No Yes (shut down December 2016) No Yes Yes Yes No Yes MTS Rogers Wireless / Sasktel
Rogers Wireless Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Rogers Communications TBayTel / ICE Wireless / Bell Mobility / Telus Mobility
SaskTel Mobility No Yes (shut down 2016) No Yes Yes Yes No Yes SaskTel Bell Mobility / Telus Mobility / MTS / Rogers Wireless
Sogetel Mobilité No Yes No Yes No Yes No No Sogetel Bell Mobility
TBayTel Mobility No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Thunder Bay Telephone Rogers Wireless
Telus Mobility No Yes (shut down 2016) No Yes Yes Yes Yes[note 2] Yes Telus Communications Bell Mobility
Vidéotron Mobile Roaming[note 1] No No Yes Yes Roaming[note 1] No Yes Vidéotron Rogers Wireless
Wind Mobile Roaming[note 1][note 3] No No Yes No[note 4] Roaming[note 1][note 3] No Yes Shaw Communications Rogers Wireless / Telus Mobility / Bell Mobility
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Videotron Mobile allow their customers to roam on Rogers Wireless' GSM technology and Personal Communications Service (PCS) frequency network. Roaming is intended to be used when one is outside of the AWS carrier's network coverage. Wind Mobile allow their customers to roam on Rogers' network as well as Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility. Eastlink Wireless also allows their customers to roam on Rogers Wireless' GSM 3G/4G network, as well as Bell's.
  2. ^ Telus Mobility sells Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) services using Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) frequencies. Services are sold under the Mike brand, which is available in Telus retail stores and online.
  3. ^ a b Wind Mobile adds Telus Mobility as roaming partner, boasts 14% improvement in coverage.
  4. ^ Wind Mobile confirmed to be testing basic 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology on February 3, 2011. The operator has not yet deployed LTE for general public use.

Former mobile networks

This list includes legacy network terminations as well as defunct network operators.

Operator Type Ownership Purchased by Ceased operations Fate
Bell Mobility Ev-DO Bell — July 1, 2015[11] Complete CDMA shutdown planned prior to 2017[11]
CityWest CityWest December 13, 2013 Wireless services discontinued; mobile customers will be transitioned to Telus[12]
Clearnet CDMA Clearnet Communications Telus Mobility 2000 Network merged with Telus
Dryden Municipal Telephone Service GSM, CDMA Dryden Municipal Telephone Service Wireless sold to Tbaytel, Wireline to Bell Aliant December 21, 2012 Wireless customers migrated to Tbaytel[13]
Fido GSM Microcell Rogers Communications November 8, 2004 Network merged with Rogers; Fido operates as MVNO
Kenora Municipal Telephone Service CDMA Kenora Municipal Telephone Service Wireless sold to Bell Aliant February 2008 & July 19th, 2015 Wireless customers sold to Bell Aliant.[14] KMTS wireless subscribers moved to Bell Mobility.[15]
Lynx Mobile CDMA Lynx Mobile — December 31, 2015 CDMA network replaced by GSM Network[16]
Mobilicity AWS, HSPA+ DAVE Wireless Rogers Communications 2015 Rogers will sell Mobilicity's AWS spectrum to WIND Mobile
NorthernTel Mobility NorthernTel Mobility Bell Aliant July 19, 2015 NorthernTel Mobility wireless subscribers moved to Bell Mobility.[17]
Northwestel Northwestel Bell Mobility June 19, 2014 Wireless services discontinued, sold to Bell Mobility.[18]
Public Mobile CDMA with Ev-DO Public Mobile Telus Mobility August 8, 2014[19] MVNO on Telus HSPA+ network[19]
Sasktel Ev-DO Sasktel — September 30, 2014[20] Complete CDMA shutdown planned prior to 2017[20]
Superior Wireless CDMA Superior Wireless TBayTel August 2006 Merged with TBayTel[21]
TBayTel CDMA TBayTel — December 31, 2014.[22]
Télébec Mobilité Télébec Mobilité Bell Aliant July 19, 2015 Télébec Mobilité wireless subscribers moved to Bell Mobility.[23]
Telus Mobility Ev-DO Telus — March 31, 2014[24]
Telus Mobility (Mike) iDEN Telus — January 29, 2016[25]
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Mobile virtual network operators (MVNO)

Operator Ownership Network provider
7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless Ztar Mobile Rogers
Chatr Rogers Communications Rogers
Cansel Connect Cansel Rogers (M2M)
Cityfone Rogers Communications Rogers
Clearnet Telus Communications Telus
DCI Wireless DCI Telecom Rogers
Execulink Mobility Execulink Telecom Bell
Fido Solutions Rogers Communications Rogers
good2go Mobile Canada Ztar Mobile Rogers
Koodo Mobile Telus Communications Telus
KORE Wireless KORE Telematics Rogers (M2M)
Mike Telus Communications Telus
Mobilicity Rogers Communications Rogers
OnStar OnStar Bell (M2M)
PC Mobile Loblaws Bell (prepaid) / Telus (postpaid)
Petro-Canada Mobility Ztar Mobile Rogers
Public Mobile Telus Communications Telus
Solo Mobile Bell Mobility Bell
Sugar Mobile Ice Wireless Ice Wireless
Virgin Mobile Canada Bell Mobility Bell
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Travel SIM Cards

Operator Ownership Network provider Notes
AlwaysOnline Wireless Otono Various A global data network for iPad owners on the go. AlwaysOnline Wireless is an on-demand 4G LTE service in over 45 countries with plans by the hour, by the day, or by the megabyte.[26]
Brightroam iRoam Mobile Solutions Rogers International SIM, offers Canadian and American numbers.[27]
Know Roaming Know Roaming Various Global SIM Sticker placed on existing SIM card.[28]
Krew Mobile Otono Various Offers American numbers for roaming in USA. Budget family plan.[29]
ZIP SIM Otono T-Mobile USA Offers American numbers.[30]
Roam Mobility (USA) Otono T-Mobile USA Offers American numbers for roaming in the USA and Mexico.[31][32]
Roam Mobility (Canada) Otono Various Offers Canadian numbers for roaming in Canada. SIM's expire after usage.[33]
PhoneBox PhoneBox Rogers (postpaid) / Telus (postpaid) Offers Canadian numbers. SIM's expire after usage.[34]
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rogers LTE Coverage (Q3 2015 report)" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Rogers GSM/HSPA Coverage (2013 Industry Canada)" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Telus Network Coverage (Q2 2015 report)" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Bell Network Coverage".
  5. ^ "Coverage". Wind Mobile. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Shaw Communications Inc. to acquire WIND Mobile Corp". Newsroom. Shaw Communications. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  7. ^ http://www.cwta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SubscribersStats_en_2015_Q3.pdf
  8. ^ http://www.cwta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SubscribersStats_en_2015_Q3.pdf
  9. ^ "Q3 2015 Subscriber Stats" (PDF). CWTA. Retrieved 2015. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ^ Solomon (2013-10-22). "Provisional bidders for 700 MHz spectrum finalized". IT World Canada News. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
  11. ^ a b Bell lays out plan to shutter its CDMA network by January 1st, 2017
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ "DMTS Notice to Customers " Dryden Municipal Telephone System". Dryden Municipal Telephone System. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  14. ^ http://www.bce.ca/news-and-media/releases/show/city-of-kenora-unanimously-approves-bell-aliant-offer-to-purchase-kenora-municipal-telephone-system-for-27-million
  15. ^ http://kmts.ca/personal/kmts-mobility-service/
  16. ^ Lynx Mobility
  17. ^ http://support.bell.ca/Mobility/NorthernTel-Mobility-and-Telebec-Migration
  18. ^ http://www.bce.ca/news-and-media/releases/show/northwestel-wireless-moves-to-bell-mobility
  19. ^ a b Our new 4G network is ready
  20. ^ a b SaskTel Turning Down EV-DO Data Service
  21. ^ http://media.knet.ca/node/2187
  22. ^ Tbaytel tells customers to upgrade older cell phones
  23. ^ https://www.telebec.com/english/magasinage_ligne/asp/mobilite/transfert_bell.asp/
  24. ^ TELUS aims to shut down its CDMA network in 2015
  25. ^ Important Service Notice: Mike is retiring
  26. ^ https://otono.com/brands
  27. ^ http://www.brightroam.com/default.aspx
  28. ^ https://www.knowroaming.com/
  29. ^ https://otono.com/brands
  30. ^ https://www.zipsim.us/
  31. ^ https://www.roammobility.com/plans
  32. ^ https://www.roammobility.com/mexico-roaming-plans
  33. ^ https://roammobility.ca/plans
  34. ^ https://gophonebox.com/
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