Canada is woefully positioned for future internet usage and the quality of current broadband networks is barely enough to cope with current traffic because of a lack of investment by providers, according to a new study.
The survey, conducted by the Oxford Said Business School in London and the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain and released Friday, found that Canada is below the global broadband quality threshold, which measures the proliferation of high-speed internet in a country, as well as the speeds available and the reliability of connections.
While Japan was the only country to meet the study’s standards for future readiness, broadband networks in countries such as Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria scored better than Canada, which ranked 27th out of the 42 nations covered. The United States ranked 16th.
Researchers calculated a broadband quality score, or BQS, by testing download and upload speeds in each country, as well as latency, a factor that measures how instantaneously information travels over a broadband network. They found that in order to meet the demands of today’s internet traffic, broadband networks need to be able to deliver steady download speeds of 3.75 megabits per second and uploads of one mbps with a latency no greater than 95 milliseconds.
Read the full report in CBCNews here.
2 Comments
Rohan Samarajiva
“Researchers calculated a broadband quality score, or BQS, by testing download and upload speeds in each country, as well as latency, a factor that measures how instantaneously information travels over a broadband network. They found that in order to meet the demands of today’s internet traffic, broadband networks need to be able to deliver steady download speeds of 3.75 megabits per second and uploads of one mbps with a latency no greater than 95 milliseconds.”
In this light, what does one make of the latency targets set by IDA in Singapore? Is IDA less interested in making modern services accessible on the web than in making life comfortable for SingTel and StarHub?
Skip
This is very interesting, as well as unbelievable. I would have thought that Canada would be ranked high in terms of broadband quality. But then again, it’s great that there are tests like these so there would be some sort of standard followed the world over.
How AI is revolutionizing satellite imagery for a better view of our planet
As of 2025 DAY 33, the satellite tracking website “Orbiting Now” lists 11,559 active satellites in various Earth orbits, each with missions including communications, Earth observation, technology development, navigation, space science, etc. These satellites provide us with an unprecedented view of Earth, enabling real-time monitoring and granular data collection.
Announcing the 5 Grantees of the 1st Cycle of the FutureWORKS Asia Project
We are pleased to announce that the selection round of the Cycle 1 of FutureWORKS Asia has officially concluded. After a thorough review process, we have selected five grantees who proposed innovative and impactful projects that address critical challenges and opportunities in the future of work to make it more inclusive and sustainable in the Global South.
LIRNEasia is hiring: Senior Researcher
LIRNEasia is looking for an experienced individual to fill the position of Senior Researcher. The full job description is available here.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
12, Balcombe Place, Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2025 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific