The CRTC is changing how Canadian wireless carriers report cellphone coverage, with the goal of giving customers more accurate maps showing where service is available and where gaps remain.
The regulator announced the new reporting rules on Friday following a public consultation. Wireless providers will be required to supply more detailed information about their mobile networks, which should make it easier for Canadians to compare coverage in specific areas.
Customers will also be able to report locations where official coverage maps do not match what they actually experience. Those reports are expected to help improve the accuracy of coverage information over time.
That could be particularly useful for Canadians who have found that a carrier’s coverage map shows service in an area where reception is weak or unavailable in practice. The CRTC has also been making changes to how smaller carriers can access larger wireless networks, including a 2025 ruling involving Bell and Telus.
The CRTC already collects network coverage information from wireless providers and sends it to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. That information is used for Canada’s National Broadband Map. The new reporting system is intended to provide more detailed data for that map and make coverage gaps easier to identify.
“Better information leads to better decisions. By improving how cellphone coverage is reported and giving Canadians a way to flag gaps, we can build a clearer picture of connectivity across the country and help support better investment where it is needed,” said CRTC chair and CEO Vicky Eatrides, in a statement on Friday.
The changes will not appear immediately, as the CRTC says the new reporting standard will begin rolling out with its next Annual Facilities Survey in early 2027.
Better maps? How about just crowdsourced feedback from customers to say there’s a wireless dead zone, then have carriers plug the gaps? At this point, those living in rural areas with spotty coverage are probably counting down the days to a dedicated Starlink cellphone service.
For cellphone customers, the main change should eventually be more useful coverage information when comparing carriers, particularly in rural areas and other locations where coverage can vary significantly from one network to another. The regulator has also used its Broadband Fund to support projects aimed at improving cellphone coverage in underserved areas.
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