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On January 15, 2026, the CRTC announced measures intended to make Canadian cellphone-coverage information more detailed and easier to compare. The changes improve the data behind public maps and begin a consultation on how coverage is collected and reported; they do not assign new towers or change which carrier serves a location.
What the CRTC changed in January 2026
The CRTC approved a request to publish more detail about the providers, network technologies and speeds available in an area. It also opened a public consultation on improving the collection and reporting of cellphone-coverage data.
The CRTC gathers network-availability information from wireless providers and shares it with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), which uses the data in the National Broadband Map. The initiative therefore concerns the accuracy and usefulness of the information layer behind public maps, not the physical ownership or operation of a particular tower.
- More detail about providers serving an area
- Technology information, such as LTE or 5G
- Available or predicted speeds
- Improved methods for identifying coverage gaps and supporting future investment
How to check cellphone coverage at your address
- Open both kinds of map. Search the CRTC/ISED National Broadband Map and each provider’s coverage map using your exact street address, postal code or locality.
- Record the network and technology. Note which provider is shown, whether the result is LTE or 5G, and whether the map displays an advertised or predicted speed.
- Look for service-level detail. Some maps show only broad outdoor availability. A map that identifies signal strength, speed or a defined service level gives you more useful evidence.
- Check the map date. Coverage changes as networks are upgraded, so note when the data was prepared or last updated.
- Validate important assumptions with the provider. The CRTC’s simplified Wireless Code says a provider must explain its service-coverage area and tell customers how to access complete coverage maps.
For a rural road, remote property or frequently travelled route, search the entire corridor rather than checking only a home address.
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Will the new maps be more accurate?
The proposed approach should make coverage information more consistent and more useful, but it cannot guarantee the signal inside every building. A CRTC-commissioned FarrPoint report recommends coverage predictions at a resolution of no less than 50 metres, together with signal-strength predictions that can be translated into service levels. That 50-metre figure is a reporting recommendation, not proof that every current public map already uses 50-metre data.
The Communications Research Centre’s technical work describes three possible service levels:
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| Service level | What it is intended to represent | What a reader should check |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Mobile Coverage (EMC) | Connectivity sufficient for emergency-oriented mobile access | Do not treat it as evidence of fast data or reliable indoor service. |
| Basic Mobile Coverage (BMC) | A baseline level of ordinary mobile service | Confirm the technology and predicted speed shown for the address. |
| Advanced Mobile Coverage (AMC) | A higher service level intended to describe more capable mobile performance | Check whether the map’s metric is signal strength, quality of service or another measure. |
The reports examine received signal power and quality-of-service requirements as ways to define coverage. Even a detailed prediction remains an estimate. Building materials, terrain, vegetation, network congestion and the capabilities of your handset can produce a different result at the same location.
How to compare Canadian providers where you live
Use the same address and the same questions for every provider. The most useful comparison is not a national coverage percentage but the service each network predicts at the places you actually use your phone.
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| Comparison factor | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Provider and network | Which company supplies the radio network, and is the plan dependent on a host network or MVNO arrangement? |
| Technology | Does the address show LTE, 5G or another technology? |
| Exact-location prediction | What does the map show at the home, workplace and regular travel routes? |
| Service level or metric | Does the map distinguish EMC, BMC and AMC, signal strength, speed or only nominal availability? |
| Speed | What advertised or predicted speed is listed, and under what conditions? |
| Indoor and terrain limits | Could walls, elevation, trees or congestion materially reduce service? |
| Plan terms | What are the recurring price, data allowance, throttling rules and roaming limits? |
| Recency | When was the map or coverage dataset last updated? |
What the national 5G statistic does—and does not—tell you
The CRTC reported that 5G networks were available to 94% of Canada’s population in 2026. This is a population measure, not a guarantee that 94% of roads, buildings or square kilometres have 5G. A sparsely populated region can contain large uncovered areas while the national percentage remains high.
The CRTC continues to address rural, remote, Indigenous and road-corridor gaps while pursuing broad national access to the latest generally deployed mobile technology. Public investment is part of that effort: an August 2024 Broadband Fund announcement covered nearly 100 kilometres of major roads in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Ontario and said the fund had improved high-speed internet and cellphone service in more than 250 communities.
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How to interpret a disappointing result
The map shows service, but your phone does not
Recheck the handset’s supported bands and 5G settings, then test outdoors and in different rooms. A prediction may represent outdoor conditions and cannot model every building.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
The map shows only a broad shaded area
Treat the result as an availability indication rather than a speed promise. Ask the provider for its complete coverage map and for the meaning of its colours or labels.
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Your rural route crosses an apparent gap
Search the route at several points and look for information about publicly funded projects or planned improvements. A home-address check can miss a gap on the road between communities.
Two providers show similar coverage
Compare the underlying technology, service-level metric, predicted speed, congestion expectations and plan terms. Similar shading does not establish identical performance.
What to expect next
The consultation and the recommended reporting framework may lead to more standardized, higher-resolution coverage information. Until those changes are implemented, use the existing CRTC/ISED map and the provider’s own map together, preserve the date of each result, and confirm critical coverage claims directly with the provider before switching.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
