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Canada’s high-speed internet market is characterized by a mix of national, regional and local internet service providers using a range of technologies, including cable, fibre, fixed wireless access and satellite. Regional providers compete alongside the national providers in many parts of the country, contributing to the overall structure of the market.
One commonly used measure of market structure is the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), which considers both the number of competitors and the distribution of market share. By this measure, Canada’s broadband market is among the least concentrated of the G7 countries. This reflects the role of regional providers alongside the national providers, as well as competition between cable and fibre networks. The continued growth of fixed wireless access and satellite services is also expanding broadband options for Canadians in many areas.
High-speed Internet Market Concentration Across the G7 (HHI).
Bar chart displaying the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) scores for high-speed Internet market concentration across seven countries, ranked from least concentrated to most concentrated.
A horizontal double-ended orange arrow below the chart indicates that scores on the left (starting with USA) represent “Least Concentrated” markets, while scores on the right (ending with France) represent “Most Concentrated” markets.
What is HHI? The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is a standard economic metric used to measure market concentration. It is calculated by squaring each provider’s market share percentage and summing the total (e.g., 30 squared + 30 squared + 20 squared + 20 squared = 2600). Scores range from near 0 (highly fragmented/competitive) to 10,000 (a total monopoly).
Methodology: Market concentration (HHI) scores are calculated quarterly using standard methodology based on TeleGeography subscriber data for wireless and fixed broadband providers. All metrics reflect the most recent quarterly reported market shares. The dataset covers over 90% of total market subscriptions per country, with smaller unlisted carriers accounting for less than 1% variance in the final HHI calculation.
Note: Australia has been excluded from this comparison due to its unique wholesale-only market structure. Unlike the facility-based competition models prevalent in G7 nations, Australia’s fixed-line market is structurally separated under the National Broadband Network (NBN), where retail service providers (RSPs) compete on a single government-owned wholesale platform rather than independent physical infrastructure.
Source: CTA calculation, based on market share data from Telegeography’s GlobalComms database, March 2026.
High-speed Internet Market Structure and Concentration (G7).
Table displaying data comparing the high-speed internet market structure across seven countries using five columns: Country, Number of major providers, Top provider market share, Top 2 providers market share, and Top 3 providers market share.
USA: 4 major providers. Top provider: 31%. Top 2 providers: 59%. Top 3 providers: 81%.
Canada: 4 major providers. Top provider: 36%. Top 2 providers: 61%. Top 3 providers: 84%.
UK: 4 major providers. Top provider: 32%. Top 2 providers: 59%. Top 3 providers: 86%.
Japan: 4 major providers. Top provider: 36%. Top 2 providers: 63%. Top 3 providers: 89%.
Germany: 3 major providers. Top provider: 46%. Top 2 providers: 75%. Top 3 providers: 96%.
Italy: 3 major providers. Top provider: 39%. Top 2 providers: 73%. Top 3 providers: 99%.
France: 3 major providers. Top provider: 52%. Top 2 providers: 83%. Top 3 providers: 100%.
“Major providers” refers to carriers with 5% or more subscription market share.
Note: Australia has been excluded from this comparison due to its unique wholesale-only market structure. Unlike the facility-based competition models prevalent in G7 nations, Australia’s fixed-line market is structurally separated under the National Broadband Network (NBN), where retail service providers (RSPs) compete on a single government-owned wholesale platform rather than independent physical infrastructure.
Source: Telegeography GlobalComms database, March 2026.
