Canada likes to think of itself as a quiet achiever in telecommunications, reliable networks, strong engineering talent, and a reputation for stability that stands in contrast to the volatility of global telecom markets. And to be fair, Canada has done well. Its 5G networks are among the most reliable in the world. Its carriers invest heavily in infrastructure. Its cybersecurity posture is respected internationally. In a world where connectivity is the backbone of economic life, Canada has built a system that works.
But the next era 6G will not reward stability alone. It will reward speed, openness, experimentation, and scale. It will reward nations that treat telecom not as a protected domestic utility but as a strategic technology platform. And on that front, Canada is not prepared. The country’s telecom sector is too concentrated, too insulated from global competition, and too slow to innovate. The same structural features that made Canada’s networks stable in the 4G and 5G eras now threaten to make them obsolete in the 6G era.
If Canada wants to be a global 6G leader not a follower ,it must confront a difficult truth: the telecom sector must open up. Foreign investment restrictions must be modernized. Competition must be allowed to flourish. And Canada must build a national 6G strategy that leverages its strengths in AI, quantum, and space technology.
This is not a matter of consumer pricing alone. It is a matter of national competitiveness.

The 5G Paradox: Strong Networks, Weak Innovation
Canada’s 5G story is a paradox. On paper, the country performs well. Independent assessments consistently rank Canadian networks among the most reliable in the world. Telus and Bell have earned global recognition for coverage quality. Rogers has invested aggressively in spectrum and infrastructure. The country’s geography, vast, sparsely populated, and expensive to serve makes these achievements even more impressive.
But reliability is not the same as leadership.
Countries like South Korea, Japan, Finland, and the United States have moved faster on 5G innovation, deployment density, and ecosystem development. They have built stronger relationships between telecom operators, universities, and equipment manufacturers. They have created testbeds, sandboxes, and open RAN environments that encourage experimentation. They have attracted global telecom giants and startups alike.
Canada, by contrast, has built a system optimized for stability and profitability, not innovation.
The result is a 5G landscape where:
- speeds lag global leaders,
- deployment is uneven,
- prices remain among the highest in the world,
- and the innovation ecosystem around telecom remains thin.
This is not a failure of engineering. It is a failure of structure.

A Protected Market in a Globalized Industry
Canada’s telecom sector is one of the most protected in the OECD. Foreign ownership restrictions limit the ability of global carriers to enter the market. Spectrum auctions favour incumbents with deep pockets. Infrastructure sharing rules are limited. Regional carriers operate in silos. And new entrants face steep barriers to scale.
This protectionism was originally designed to ensure national control over critical infrastructure. But in practice, it has created a market where three companies dominate, competition is limited, and innovation cycles are slow.
In the 4G era, this model was tolerable. In the 5G era, it became a drag. In the 6G era, it will be a liability.
Telecom is no longer a domestic utility. It is a global technology race. Countries that treat it as such South Korea, Japan, Finland, the U.S. are already shaping the standards, patents, and architectures that will define 6G. Canada risks being a passive consumer of technologies developed elsewhere.
A protected market cannot produce global champions. It cannot attract global investment. It cannot scale innovation. And it cannot lead in 6G.

Why 6G Will Be Different and Why Canada Must Act Now
6G will not simply be “faster 5G.” It will be a fundamentally different network paradigm AI-native, space-integrated, quantum-resilient, and software-defined. It will blur the boundaries between terrestrial networks, satellite constellations, and edge computing. It will enable new industries: autonomous mobility, immersive computing, precision agriculture, real-time robotics, and national-scale digital twins.
The countries that lead in 6G will shape:
- global standards,
- intellectual property portfolios,
- supply chains,
- and the next generation of digital infrastructure.
Canada has the ingredients to compete:
- world-class AI research institutions (Vector, Mila, Amii),
- strong quantum research clusters,
- a respected space technology heritage,
- and advanced engineering talent.
But these strengths will not matter if the telecom sector remains closed, concentrated, and slow to evolve.
6G leadership requires openness.

A 6G Strategy Blueprint for Canada
Below is a national blueprint ambitious, realistic, and aligned with Canada’s strengths. It outlines how Canada can transform its telecom sector and position itself as a global 6G leader.

1. Modernize Foreign Ownership Rules
Canada must allow controlled foreign investment in telecom infrastructure. This does not mean abandoning national security. It means adopting a model similar to Australia, the U.K., or the U.S., where foreign carriers can operate under strict regulatory oversight.
Benefits:
- increased competition,
- lower prices,
- faster innovation cycles,
- access to global expertise and capital,
- and stronger integration into global telecom ecosystems.
Canada cannot build a world-class 6G sector with a closed 20th-century regulatory model.

2. Build a National 6G Research Consortium
Canada needs a coordinated national effort ,similar to the U.S. Next G Alliance or Europe’s Hexa-X program.
A Canadian 6G Consortium should include:
- universities (Waterloo, UofT, McGill, UBC),
- AI institutes (Vector, Mila, Amii),
- telecom operators (Bell, Rogers, Telus),
- equipment vendors (Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung),
- space agencies and satellite companies,
- federal departments and regulators.
Focus areas:
- terahertz spectrum research,
- AI-native network architectures,
- quantum-safe communications,
- open RAN development,
- satellite-6G integration,
- cybersecurity and resilience.
This consortium should be funded at scale not pilot-project scale, but national-strategy scale.

3. Reform Spectrum Policy
Spectrum is the oxygen of wireless networks. Canada’s spectrum auctions are among the most expensive in the world, leaving carriers with less capital for deployment and R&D.
Canada should:
- reduce auction costs,
- accelerate release of mid-band and high-band spectrum,
- expand shared spectrum models,
- and create innovation zones for experimental 6G deployments.
Spectrum policy must shift from revenue generation to innovation enablement.

4. Invest in Open RAN (O-RAN)
Open RAN is the most important telecom architecture shift in a generation. It breaks vendor lock-in, lowers costs, and accelerates innovation by allowing software-defined radio components to interoperate.
Canada should:
- fund O-RAN testbeds,
- support startups building radio software,
- partner with global O-RAN alliances,
- and encourage operators to adopt open architectures.
O-RAN is Canada’s best chance to build a domestic telecom technology ecosystem.

5. Leverage Canada’s AI Leadership
6G will be the first network generation designed around AI from the ground up. Canada’s AI research strength gives it a unique competitive advantage.
AI can optimize:
- spectrum allocation,
- network routing,
- predictive maintenance,
- cybersecurity,
- energy efficiency,
- and autonomous network management.
Canada should integrate AI research institutes directly into 6G development programs. This is where Canada can lead globally , not by building radios, but by building the intelligence that runs the network.

6. Use Space Technology as a Differentiator
Canada’s space heritage Canadarm, RADARSAT, satellite robotics positions it uniquely for the 6G era, where terrestrial and satellite networks will merge.
Canada should lead in:
- hybrid satellite-6G architectures,
- LEO-integrated networks,
- remote-region connectivity,
- and space-based sensing.
This is a natural strategic advantage that few countries possess.

7. Build a National Telecom Innovation Fund
Canada needs a dedicated fund to support:
- telecom startups,
- open RAN companies,
- AI-driven network tools,
- cybersecurity technologies,
- and space-telecom integration.
Telecom innovation cannot be left solely to three incumbents. A broader ecosystem must be cultivated.

The Cost of Inaction
If Canada does nothing if it maintains the status quo the consequences will be predictable and severe.
1. Canada will fall behind global 6G leaders.
Standards will be set elsewhere. Patents will be owned elsewhere. Innovation will happen elsewhere.
2. Canadian networks will become more expensive and less competitive.
A closed market cannot keep pace with global innovation cycles.
3. Canada will lose its strategic autonomy.
Dependence on foreign technologies without domestic capability is a national security risk.
4. The digital economy will suffer.
Industries that rely on advanced connectivity ,manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, health will lag global competitors.
5. Rural and remote regions will fall further behind.
Without new architectures like O-RAN and satellite-6G integration, rural connectivity will remain expensive and slow.
Canada cannot afford to be a follower in the next era of connectivity.