Canadians are embracing satellite delivery of television services, with the sector growing by more than 500% over the past five years, according to figures released by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). There are just under 1m customers with satellite dishes or multipoint distribution systems, up from just over 500,000 in 1999.

The Canadian market is dominated by Bell Expressvu, which is controlled by the nation's telephony giant BCE, and two others, Star Choice and Canadian Satellite Communications, both controlled by cable company Shaw Communications.

Meanwhile, cable penetration rates have dropped slightly, the first decrease since the CRTC began keeping records. While the dip is just 22,000 fewer than the record high of 8,028,413 subscribers in 1999, it indicates that cable penetration has peaked because the number of households with potential for access has increased by 11%.