Ever looked at your monthly Rogers or Bell bill and wondered where all that money actually goes? It’s a lot. Honestly, the Canadian telecom market is a bit of a beast, and when we talk about the revenue of canada phone number ecosystems, we aren't just talking about a few bucks for texting. We are talking about a sector that pulled in roughly $59.6 billion in 2023 alone, with mobile services making up more than half of that pie.
By the time we hit 2026, the landscape is shifting. It’s not just about humans talking on phones anymore. Your fridge, your car, and even that random sensor in a cornfield in Saskatchewan are all starting to get their own "phone numbers" (or at least network identifiers) and they are driving the next wave of cash flow.
Where the Cash Comes From
Most people think their $80 plan is the beginning and end of the story. It’s not. The revenue of canada phone number industry is split into a few distinct buckets. You’ve got your retail revenue—that's you and me paying for data—and then you’ve got the wholesale side, where the big players rent out their towers to the smaller "flanker" brands or MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators).
- Mobile Data: This is the undisputed king. In 2023, mobile revenue jumped by $2.1 billion (a 6.7% increase), largely because we are all addicted to streaming 4K video on the bus.
- IoT and M2M: This stands for "Machine-to-Machine." Basically, these are phone numbers assigned to devices. It's the fastest-growing segment, with a projected growth rate of over 5.1% through 2031.
- Roaming: Remember the "bill shock" after a trip to the States? Carriers make a killing here, though the CRTC has been breathing down their necks lately to lower these rates.
The "Big Three"—Bell, Rogers, and Telus—still hold about 89% of the wireless revenue. It's a massive concentration of power. However, with Quebecor (Freedom Mobile) pushing into the national scene as a fourth player, we've actually seen prices for some plans drop by nearly 25% over the last couple of years, even if it doesn't always feel like it when you're looking at your bank statement.
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The 5G Money Pit
Building a network in a country as big as Canada is stupidly expensive. You've got thousands of kilometers of nothingness between major cities, and everyone expects 5G bars the whole way.
Telecom companies spent over $11 billion on infrastructure in 2023. They aren't doing this for charity. The goal is to increase the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). For example, Telus reported an ARPU of around $57.13 in early 2025. That number is a tug-of-war between people wanting cheaper plans and the companies trying to upsell you on "unlimited" data.
Interestingly, the way these companies are taxed and regulated is also changing. The Canadian Numbering Administration Consortium (CNAC), which manages all those 10-digit numbers, recently moved to a "Resources Assigned" funding model. This means companies now pay fees based on how many phone numbers they actually hold, rather than just a flat percentage of their revenue. It's a move to stop carriers from hoarding blocks of numbers that nobody is using.
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Surprising Revenue Realities
You’d think long distance would still be a money-maker, right? Wrong. Landline long-distance revenue is cratering—down about 12.8% year-over-year. Nobody uses a landline to call Grandma anymore; they use WhatsApp or FaceTime.
Instead, the revenue of canada phone number streams are being bolstered by:
- Device Financing: You aren't just buying a service; you're essentially taking out a 24-month interest-free loan for a $1,400 iPhone. That "equipment revenue" is a massive part of the quarterly earnings reports.
- Enterprise Services: Secure private networks for hospitals and banks.
- Government Subsidies: The Universal Broadband Fund has poured billions (about $3.225 billion) into the industry to help connect rural and Indigenous communities. While this is "government money," it flows directly into the revenue streams of the companies building the towers.
What Happens in 2026?
The forecast for 2026 suggests the market will hit a value of roughly USD 52.28 billion. We are seeing a "data-heavy" migration. Voice calls are basically a free add-on at this point. The real value is in the 10GB, 50GB, or 100GB of data you use to scroll TikTok.
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We are also seeing a shift in how numbers are used in the "Smart City" context. In Toronto alone, IoT connections grew by 23% recently. Every smart streetlight and parking meter is technically a "subscriber" in the eyes of the network. This is the "hidden" revenue that most consumers never see.
Actionable Insights for the Savvy Consumer
If you want to stop contributing quite so much to those billion-dollar revenue reports, you've actually got more leverage now than you did five years ago.
- Switch to a Flanker: Brands like Fido, Koodo, and Virgin use the exact same towers as the Big Three but often charge 30% less for the same data.
- Watch the MVNO Space: The CRTC has forced the big guys to open up their networks to regional players. Keep an eye out for new providers in your province that might offer "introductory" rates that are way below the national average.
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): The biggest revenue trap is the device subsidy. If you can keep your phone for three or four years instead of two, you can switch to a BYOD plan and save roughly $20–$40 a month.
The revenue of canada phone number market isn't going to shrink anytime soon. As long as we keep demanding faster speeds and more connected gadgets, those billions will keep rolling in. The key is knowing where the industry is going—away from voice and toward a world where everything has a connection—so you can position yourself to pay for what you actually use.
To stay ahead, audit your data usage over the last six months. If you’re consistently using less than 50% of your plan, you’re essentially handing over free revenue to your carrier. Downgrade your tier or move to a pre-paid "flanker" brand to keep more of that money in your own pocket.