Cable and DSL penetration in Canada seems to be reaching the saturation point, according to Maravedis. The Montreal research firm said late last year that 2006 and 2007 would mark the access technologies’ peak growth, as fast forms of wireless make their way into the market. Wi-Fi and other un-tethered conduits will eat away at the cable and DSL subscriber base, said Maravedis senior analyst Julien Regoli. But as broadband changes from wireline to wireless, it will continue to grow: by 2010, 95% of Canadian households with Internet access will connect via a high-speed service. Maravedis also figures the end of dial-up service is nigh as the old-fashioned technology struggles to keep pace with the Web’s evermore rich content, and as high-speed service drops in cost.

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