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Residential Telephone Service Survey
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Nearly three-quarters (74.3%) of Canadian households indicated they had a cell phone in 2008, up from (72.4%) in 2007.
The proportion of households with cell phones was highest in Alberta (84.5%), Saskatchewan (78.0%), British Columbia (77.8%) and Ontario (76.8%). Quebec had the lowest rate of cell phone use at 65.5% of households.
In 2008, 8.0% of households reported having cell phones only, up from 6.4% in 2007.
Younger households were much more likely to use only a cell phone, with 34.4% of households comprised solely of adults aged between 18 and 34 relying exclusively on cell phones. Among all other households the rate was 4.5%.
In 2008, two-thirds (67.0%) of the households that used only cell phones were renters rather than homeowners.
The proportion of households without any phone service remained unchanged from 2007 at 0.9%.
Note: The Residential Telephone Service Survey, conducted since the fall of 1998, monitors residential phone penetration rates across all provinces in Canada.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 4426.
For more information on related products and services, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-800-461-9050; 613-951-3321; fax: 613-951-4527; ssd@statcan.gc.ca), Special Surveys Division.
Table 1
| Households with at least one cell phone | Cell phone only households | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total cell phone only | Households comprised solely of 18 to 34 year olds | Households of all other age compositions | Percentage of cell phone only households who were renters | ||
| Canada | 74.3 | 8.0 | 34.4 | 4.5 | 67.0 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 68.2 | 4.1 | F | 2.2 | 74.5 |
| Prince Edward Island | 73.5 | 6.1 | F | 4.5 | 62.8 |
| Nova Scotia | 72.3 | 6.6 | 25.9 | 4.6 | 69.5 |
| New Brunswick | 66.0 | 4.3 | 19.8 | 2.5 | 49.9 |
| Quebec | 65.5 | 6.7 | 24.6 | 4.2 | 78.2 |
| Ontario | 76.8 | 7.4 | 35.8 | 4.2 | 61.7 |
| Manitoba | 73.8 | 10.0 | 46.5 | 5.4 | 58.1 |
| Saskatchewan | 78.0 | 7.2 | 28.7 | 3.9 | 58.4 |
| Alberta | 84.5 | 11.5 | 41.0 | 6.2 | 62.6 |
| British Columbia | 77.8 | 10.3 | 46.7 | 5.4 | 71.7 |
