As policy makers start weighing the merits of a Telus takeover of Bell Canada, consider these telecom industry facts, as published by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in its most recent Communications Outlook.
How does Canada compare against its G-7 peers when it comes to the cost of a basket of residential phone charges (including international calling):
- Canada is cheapest.
How does Canada compare to the G-7 on business phone costs?
- Canada is cheapest.
How does Canada compare to its G-7 peers when it comes to mobile phone costs for low, medium, and heavy users?
- Cheapest. Cheapest . Cheapest.
How does Canada compare to the G-7 on the costs of high-speed Internet?
- Cheaper than the U.S. but in the middle of the pack of the G-7.
And here’s one other info-nugget: How reliable is Canada’s phone system compared to its peers?
- Easily the best in the world.
The OECD measures “faults per 100 telephone lines per year”.
In 2003 — the most recent year for which we have comparisons to the U.S. — Canadian phone companies registered an average of 1.1 faults per 100 lines per year. The U.S. was more than 10 times worse at 11.6 faults. The U.K. was 11.8 faults.
