38% of Canadians say COVID-19 slowed internet service: CIRA survey

Almost four in ten Canadians say their home internet speeds are slower than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey conducted for the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). The Strategic Counsel online survey of 1,200 Canadians — conducted between April 3 and 7 — showed 38 per cent of respondents said their internet speeds are slower than they were pre-pandemic, while 55 per cent say the speed is the same as before. Just three per cent of respondents said their internet speeds were faster, while five per cent didn’t know. The majority of Canadians remain satisfied with their home internet service however, with 38 per cent very satisfied and 30 per cent satisfied. The survey shows 12 per cent are dissatisfied, seven per cent were very dissatisfied, while 11 per cent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and a further one per cent was unsure. Internet service providers, research groups and industry stakeholders have reported a large increase in home internet traffic consumption during the pandemic, as a large number of Canadians shift to working from home. A number of service providers responded by temporarily lifting overage charges on home internet services. Five per cent of survey respondents said they’d reached the data limit on their home internet service since the pandemic began, while nine per cent said they’d reached the data limit on their wireless plan. Providers have mostly opted not to lift data limits on wireless plans, but some have suspended data roaming charges for Canadians stuck overseas. CIRA marketing and communications vice-president David Fowler said COVID-19 had changed everything, and the entire country had quickly been forced to shift their work, schooling and social calendar online. “Over the past few weeks, the power of the internet to connect us has never been more clear, nor more important,” Fowler said in a press release. “There are struggles as Canadians discover that working from home isn't without its pitfalls, but we are also seeing families and friends playing games, hosting video conference parties and connecting online like never before. As Canadians do their part to fight this virus, we hope this data helps shine a light on what folks are doing online during this very unusual time in our country's history." The survey shows just more than half of employed Canadians have started working from home during the pandemic. Of the 692 respondents who were working full or part time when surveyed, 52 per cent said they were working from home since the pandemic began, while seven per cent were doing so before the pandemic. Two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents who are now working from home say they rarely or never did so before the pandemic. More than half of respondents reported spending more time watching TV or movies and connecting with family or friends via video or teleconference than before, while 40 per cent said they spent a lot or a little more time reading books. Telephone, email and text message were identified as the most popular ways to connect with others, while Facebook Inc.’s social media site and Facebook messenger app were the most common online tools.

38% of Canadians say COVID-19 slowed internet service: CIRA survey

Brief | April 14, 2020

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38% of Canadians say COVID-19 slowed internet service: CIRA survey

Brief | April 14, 2020

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