Fast Facts

• Extensive fibre optic infrastructure
• Sophisticated voice and transfer technology
• High-speed Internet service available to 100 per cent of homes in Calgary
• Calgary tied with four other Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in 2010 with the highest number of individuals in Canada aged 16 years and older with Internet access at 88 per cent, well above the Canadian average of 80 per cent

Web and Internet service is the second largest area of employment in Calgary - it includes designing, hosting and other business services such as e-commerce and other web and network based business operations.

Calgary's Providers Include:

• Telus
• Shaw
• Internet Unlimited Ltd.
• Nucleus Information Service Inc
• goCanquest
• 360 Networks

VOIP

Voice over Internet Protocol is expected to revolutionize Canada's multibillion-dollar phone industry. This innovative alternative to traditional telephony services allows users to make telephone calls using a broadband internet connection versus a regular analog phone line.

Calgary's Providers Include:

• Vonage
• Primus
• Bell
• Calgary Telecom
• Telus
• Navigata
• Rogers Cable Inc.
• Shaw
• Yak Communications

Fibre Optics

Fiber Optics is the technique that uses optical fibres - transparent rods of glass or plastic that are stretched to be long, thin and flexible - to transmit data in the form of pulses of light. Fibre optics is a step from the metal wire traditionally used in telephone and television technology. Because of its greater bandwidth, optical fibres can transmit information over longer distances and in less time than copper cable.

Calgary's Providers Include:

• Sabeus Sensor Systems Inc.
• Cascade computer Products Makk Fibre Inc.
• Allied Wire & Cable Ltd.
• Granite Electric Ltd.
• Netricom MRO Electronic Supply Ltd.
• DMC Data Communications

Broadband

Broadband, or high-capacity Internet, is used to send or view large amounts of information, including live video and audio, via the Internet. Alberta SuperNet is a high-speed, high-capacity broadband network linking government offices, schools, health-care facilities and libraries, including approximately 4,200 connections in 429 communities.

Calgary's Providers Include:

• Telus
• Shaw

Wireless

According to WiTec Alberta, it is estimate that the 300 companies within the Alberta Wireless and Telecom industry generated an estimated $3.5 billion in revenue and currently employ approximately 16,000 people. The industry is in a favourable position to grow these figures substantially over the next few years.

Calgary's Providers: Wireless

• Bell
• Rogers
• Telus

Calgary's Providers: Fixed Line

• Telus
• Sprint
• Shaw
• Primus

Contact Centres

• Calgary's Call Centres
• Telus
• Alberta Treasury Branch
• Bank of Montreal
• Bank of Nova Scotia
• Bell West
• EDS
• Greyhound Bus Release
• Meloche Monnex
• Royal Bank of Canada
• Rogers
• AT&T
• Starchoice
• Shaw Cable
• West Jet
• Epcor Utilities

For more information, see the ICT Sector profile