CIRA's Internet Performance Test turns 10 with new features and insights on Canada's digital divide

Globe and Mail

6 hours ago

OTTAWA, Ontario, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CIRA is proud to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its Internet Performance Test (IPT), marking a significant milestone in the journey towards building a more equitable and accessible internet across Canada. Since the first test was captured in the spring of 2015, Canadians have run over 1.7 million tests, leveraging the tool and its crowd-sourced approach to better understand their connection. The platform allows local governments, advocates and researchers to track national progress toward closing the digital divide.
Over the years, the data collected through IPT has provided insight into how the internet is evolving across Canada. In its inaugural year, the national median download speed was just over 11 Mbps, with an upload speed of 2.4 Mbps. Fast forward to last year, the national median speeds soared to 92 Mbps download and 27 Mbps upload, showcasing incredible progress.
This milestone coincides with the launch of new CRTC hearings that will investigate how to improve the shopping experience for consumers to ensure they get the speed and quality they pay for.
Key insights
A noticeable inflection point after 2019 suggests that increased government and private investments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—and its consequences on the online lives of Canadians—have significantly impacted connectivity.
While rural speeds have improved substantially, the gap between rural and urban connectivity remains largely unchanged.
Regional disparities persist, with New Brunswick enjoying relatively fast speeds, while the Prairies continue to lag behind.
The far North, particularly the territories, shows the lowest connectivity levels, with median speeds well below half the national average.
Latency—a critical quality metric that can lead to noticeable delays in online activities such as video calls, streaming and other real-time applications—highlights the challenges faced by networks covering vast territories. Areas such as Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan exhibit the highest latency levels, indicating the need for continued investment in underserved regions.
Executive quote
'Ten years of the IPT marks a major milestone in Canada's connectivity journey. Thanks to community partnerships, we've built a powerful tool for change, but the digital divide persists. More than ever, we must keep investing, collaborating and pushing forward to ensure fast, reliable internet is a reality for everyone, no matter where they live.' — Charles Noir, Vice-president, Community Investment, Policy & Advocacy, CIRA
New features
To mark this anniversary, CIRA is rolling out a series of powerful new features designed to enhance user experience and deliver even deeper insights:
Autotesting capability: the IPT can now run automated tests at regular intervals over hours or days. Logged-in users can track how their connection performs throughout the day.
New speed categories: newly added categories highlight areas with exceptional service and ultra-fast connections.
Basemap selection: in addition to the default street map, users can now switch to satellite imagery for added geographic context.
Upload speed visualization: the Internet Performance Map now displays both download and upload speeds, offering a more complete view of internet performance.
Expanded dashboard insights: IPT account holders now have access to more detailed metrics and visualizations via updated dashboards.
Resources
To learn more about the Internet Performance Test's past decade of impact on Canada's digital divide: https://www.cira.ca/en/ipt/history
To run a test and learn more about CIRA's Internet Performance Test, visit: https://www.cira.ca/en/net-good/internet-performance-test/
About CIRA
CIRA is the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain on behalf of all Canadians. As a leader in Canada's internet ecosystem, CIRA offers a wide range of products, programs and services designed to make the internet a secure and accessible space for all. CIRA advocates for Canada on both national and international stages to support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians by helping shape the future of the internet.
About Net Good by CIRA and the Internet Performance Test
Net Good by CIRA supports communities, projects and policies that make the internet better for all Canadians including CIRA's Internet Performance Test (IPT). The IPT platform offers advanced and detailed diagnostic data enabling communities, researchers, and decision-makers to better understand and improve internet access in Canada. Each year, CIRA proudly funds its Net Good program from the revenue generated through .CA domains.