Strategies of small- and mid-sized Internet service providers (ISPs)
The vast majority of Internet service providers (ISPs) in Canada are small- and medium-sized companies striving to compete with large and more dominant telecommunication and cable companies.
Based on data from Statistics Canada’s Annual Survey of Internet Service Providers and Related Services for 2000 and 2002, this article compares the performance and characteristics of fast-growing small - and mid-sized Canadian ISPs with those of their slower-growing counterparts. The study also examines the different strategies employed by the two groups as well as their differing perceptions of potential impediments to their growth.
The main findings relate to the effects of the two groups’ business strategies on their core business and diversification, revenues and expenses, broadband and narrowband services, subscriber base and customer retention rates, connection options and growth impediments.