OTTAWA – The federal government says it plans to take measures aimed at increasing competition in Canada’s telecommunications sector and lowering consumers’ cellphone and internet costs.
Ottawa outlined parts of that strategy in the budget Tuesday, including a new “dig once” policy that would encourage companies to co-ordinate when installing fibre optic lines.
It also says it will reduce regulatory hurdles when deploying telecom infrastructure across the country, including by consulting on a streamlined tower-siting process later this year.
Meanwhile, the federal government will release additional wireless spectrum, the electromagnetic frequencies that enable smartphone communications, and develop modernized spectrum licence transfer rules in late 2025-26.
Ottawa says the Canadian telecom sector has lacked competition, which has led to higher cellphone bills compared with other countries.
However, major players in the industry have fought back against that characterization, pointing to inflation data that shows declining plan costs, along with increases in data allowances for some cellular services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2025.
Read more on the federal budget at thestar.com
