The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has released its latest findings on Internet speed and quality across the country, revealing that overall wireless infrastructure has improved since its previous report.
The CIRA says that 18.2 percent of Canadian network destinations are now IPv6 capable, which is the most recent version of internet protocol. At the beginning of 2016, this number was only 2.6 percent. The report cites both Telus and Rogers for this improvement with their introduction of the technology into their networks throughout the year.
Canada now ranks 14th worldwide in this area, although notably far behind the U.S., where 33.3 percent of network connections are IPv6 capable.
Also improved was average measured download speed, which came in at 21.7 Mbps, a five percent increase over the same period last year. Upload speed showed an even larger improvement with 9.0 Mbps in Q4 2016 compared to 7.4 Mbps in Q4 2015 — a 21 percent increase.
However, the CIRA noted that internet speeds can fluctuate wildly throughout any given day. For example, a series of connection tests in a New Brunswick home over a six day period found that while top speeds met the plans that subscribers were paying for, speeds could still vary by more than 50 Mbps between different hours.
Internet policy group Open Media, which was consulted for the report, also mentions that nearly one-in-five Canadian households don’t have residential internet connections. To help close this divide, Open Media says the CRTC should mandate a basic Internet package with 5/5 Mbps symmetric speeds and offer minimum quality of service guarantees across Canada.
“It’s encouraging to see the needle shift in the right direction on several key benchmarks,” said Byron Holland, CIRA president and CEO in a press release. “IPv6 adoption is particularly critical, because demand for IP addresses is skyrocketing from smart devices and the Internet of Things, and the IPv4 well will soon run dry. Continuous improvement in the speed and quality of our Internet connectivity will be instrumental for Canada to fully participate in the digital future – one we’re working for all Canadians to enjoy.”
Canadians wishing to test their own network connections can do so on the CIRA website.
Image credit: Pixabay
Source: CIRA
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