Ten years ago, CIRA launched the Internet Performance Test (IPT) with a bold mission: to help Canadians understand and improve their internet experience through a growing, open dataset of crowd-sourced speed tests. What started as a tool for community advocates, researchers and policymakers has evolved into one of Canada’s most trusted internet measurement platforms.
Now, as we celebrate the IPT’s 10th anniversary, we’re excited to unveil a modernized version of the platform—one that honors a decade of progress while looking ahead to the future of connectivity.
A glimpse into the impact we’ve had since IPT’s conception:
- 2015: IPT launches with basic speed testing and geographic visualization
- 2017: community testing begins, empowering local advocacy for better broadband
- 2020: during the pandemic, IPT becomes vital for identifying connectivity gaps
- 2021: the dataset surpasses one million tests; redesign planning begins
- 2024: rural median speeds meet the Universal Service Objective minimums during the month of September
- 2025: the redesigned IPT launches with a modern interface and enhanced insights
Explore the full timeline and key moments in Canadian connectivity.
Meet the modern IPT
Launched in January 2025, the redesigned IPT offers a cleaner, more intuitive experience. Whether you’re a broadband advocate, policymaker or just curious about your internet speed, the updated platform makes it easier to run tests and explore national performance data.
Key upgrades include dynamic visualizations and improved insight tools—laying the groundwork for better informed conversations about internet access in Canada.
Anniversary features now live!
To celebrate 10 years, we’ve introduced additional features that enhance both usability and data depth:
- High-speed tier legend: visualize speeds beyond 50 Mbps down/10 Mbps up
- Satellite base layer: adds detailed geographic context, especially for rural areas
- Time selection: filter results by specific time ranges to track trends
- Auto test functionality: opt-in for automated testing to build richer, long-term data
And that’s just the beginning—explore more new features.
What’s next in the series?
This post kicks off a five-part series celebrating a decade of the IPT. Upcoming posts will explore broadband trends, spotlight community success stories and look ahead to the future of internet measurement in Canada.
We’re proud of how far CIRA’s Internet Performance Test has come—and even more excited for what’s next. Thank you to everyone who’s run a test, explored the map or used IPT data to drive change. Here’s to the next decade of open, community-powered internet measurement.
Jeff is the Internet Performance Test (IPT) Program Manager. The IPT is the most advanced internet quality test in Canada that provides public access to the performance results. Jeff is an avid advocate for how IPT data, maps and reports can help stakeholders identify areas with limited access, improve funding decisions, evaluate the success of funded projects and do so at a high degree of geographic granularity.
