On January 15, 2026, the Canadian Radio-Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced a public consultation to develop a new, standardized methodology for reporting mobile coverage across Canada.
Through this engagement, the CRTC is aiming to improve the accuracy of mobile coverage information to better identify these gaps and support more effective policy and funding decisions. The CRTC is seeking input on several issues, such as:
- Which technologies (2G, 3G, 4G, etc.) should be included in the reporting standard
- At what level of detail should the mobile coverage data be reported (such as 50-metre grids)
- How coverage predictions should be validated
- How to address emerging satellite-to-mobile technologies
- How the methodology can better reflect the needs of rural and underserved communities
Mobile connectivity and broadband coverage have long been a focus of RMA’s advocacy, and cellular coverage remains a critical issue for rural municipalities; spotty and inconsistent levels of coverage were the primary focus of RMA’s response to a previous CRTC engagement on updates to National Public Alerting System. Members can review the RMA’s response to that engagement here.
RMA encourages members to review the CRTC’s Notice of Consultation. To submit an intervention to the CRTC’s mobile reporting standard engagement, members and the public can follow this link. The deadline for submitting interventions is March 16, 2026, and the final deadline for the submission of replies is April 15, 2026.
For more information and to learn more about rural cellular and broadband issues, visit rmalberta.com.
Joseph Kay
Policy Advisor
587.689.5484
joseph@rmalberta.com
Warren Noga
Manager of Policy and Research
825.319.2285
warren@rmalberta.com