Poll shows majority of Canadians support rules to promote wireless competition by allowing new carriers into the market

OTTAWA, Feb. 18, 2020 /CNW/ - Public opinion data from an upcoming research report by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) shows that a majority (60%) of Canadians support new regulations to promote greater wireless competition by forcing Canada's largest carriers to share their infrastructure with smaller providers. The findings come as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) begins a two-week long hearing on the status of Canada's wireless market.

One of the key questions facing the Commission is whether they will mandate wholesale network access so mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) competitors can enter the Canadian market. MVNOs are cell phone providers like Ting or Google Fi who do not operate their own spectrum network and instead buy access to unused space on existing networks to sell service.

The full research report, set for release in March, will detail Canadians' views on key connectivity, internet governance and digital policy questions. The report will be released ahead of the 2020 Canadian Internet Governance Forum in Montreal, where CIRA is a presenting sponsor. You can preview the findings below.

Preview of Report Findings:

• A majority of Canadians (60%) support requiring Canada's largest mobile service providers to share their infrastructure with new or smaller providers in order to increase competition in the mobile sector.
• About two-thirds (65%) of Canadians continue to support the principle of net neutrality.
• More than 8 in10 (86%) say universal access to high-speed internet is important for Canada's overall economic growth and prosperity.
• 8 in 10 (80%) believe it is important that Canada's internet service providers and online service companies invest in building up internet infrastructure inside Canada's borders.

Join us at the Canadian Internet Governance Forum

• The Canadian IGF is Canada's leading multi-stakeholder forum on internet policy issues. This year's event is set for March 30th at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
• The inaugural Canadian IGF last year in Toronto brought together over 200 representatives from government, civil society, and the private sector to tackle public policy issues facing the internet.
• This year's event will feature a keynote address from Mozilla Executive Director, Mark Surman, and panel discussions on issues including encryption, AI, cybersecurity and more.
• Pre-registration for journalists and the public has opened. Registration is free.
• CIRA is one of the many organizing partners and this year's presenting sponsor for the event. The forum is also sponsored by CANARIE, Cybera and ICANN.

About the Canadian Internet Registration Authority

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. CIRA also develops technologies and services—such as D-Zone DNS Firewall—that help support its goal of building a better online Canada. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing country code top-level domains (ccTLD), a high-performance global DNS network, and one of the world's most advanced back-end registry solutions. You can learn more at https://cira.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

Media Contact: Josh Tabish, Corporate Communications Manager, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), Tel: [phone], [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.cira.ca