Telecommunications In Canada

A Reference Source For The Telecommunications Community

This web site provides reference material and overviews pertaining to the history, achievements, and activities of the telecommunications community in Canada.

Introduction

Communications play a large role in all modern societies - they are particularly important to Canada.

Canadian geography, population distribution, and political organization have always required effective communication systems. Canada's population spreads across 6,000 km from sea to sea to sea. Communications are one of the major threads holding this country together.

Canada has excellent communications. Canada has one of the world's highest levels of universal telephone service. Canadian communication systems include satellite communications, national data networks, optical fibre networks, cellular telephony, cable TV, and virtually universal Internet access.

Communications have always played a large role in Canadian affairs and the subject of continuous study and government support. Since the creation of Canada's domestic satellite system, telecommunications has been front and centre in the nation's scientific and industrial policies. In fact, it is the current policy of the Government of Canada to make Canada the most connected country in the world.

Communications and Information Technology are also among Canada's major industries.

Canada has been consistently in the forefront of communications technology. Marconi's first Trans-Atlantic radio transmission was received in Newfoundland. The concept of the telephone was developed by Alexander Graham Bell at his parent's home in Brantford, Ontario. Canada had the world's first commercial telephone system and North America's first mobile telecommunications system. JANET, the first commercial meteor-burst communication system was Canadian. Canada had the Western world's first domestic satellite communications system. Canada had the world's first nation-wide digital data network. Canada has the world's largest contiguous cellular telephone network. Canadians have greater access to cable television service than the people of any other nation.