If 2024 laid the groundwork, 2025 turned the screws. From coast to coast, Canadians felt the impact of expanded fibre access and real competition. The kind that lowers prices and raises expectations. Add 5G at scale and you get clearer calls, snappier video, and less lag, even for busy households. Meanwhile, AI quietly moved from novelty to necessity; triaging calls, transcribing voicemails, spotting fraud, and stitching together voice, chat, and meetings into UCaaS workflows we now take for granted.
We bought Canadian and sounded more like it
A parallel movement took hold in shopping baskets: more Made in Canada labels, more local markets, and more pride in the craft behind our everyday tech. It wasn’t just patriotic; it was practical—jobs here, higher standards, shorter supply chains, smaller footprints. In comms, that meant choosing providers and devices that reflect our values and bilingual realities.
We called south, but smarter
Our international minutes still tilted hard toward the USA, but the math finally favoured the savvy. With VoIP per‑minute rates measured in fractions of a penny, the old long‑distance anxiety faded. Businesses leaned into analytics and integrations; households enjoyed feature‑rich calling without the sticker shock. The takeaway: call where you need. Just don’t overpay to do it.
Voicemail grew up (and learned to read)
Voicemail stopped feeling like a dusty inbox. Transcriptions brought instant clarity, cloud storage made messages portable, and custom greetings turned first impressions into brand cues. Integrations pulled voicemail into email and CRM, and AI began to summarize and prioritize. Providers like VoIP Much, VoIP.ms, and Ooma kept the upgrades coming.
Choosing home internet felt… doable
For once, comparing home internet didn’t feel like deciphering a tax form.
- Bell made a strong bid with bundled entertainment and symmetrical speeds. Great for streaming!
- Oxio stayed the no‑contract, no‑nonsense pick with transparent pricing up to 1 Gbps.
- Rogers offered high speeds and promos for connected households. Do mind the term and the post‑promo price.
Across the board, Canadians got a little more choice and gained a tiny bit of more control.
The ring returned to living rooms
In a twist nobody forecast, landlines—the VoIP kind—found new life. Families rediscovered the beauty of a screen‑free voice call: fewer distractions, better conversations, and plans under CAD $10/month. Ooma’s starter kits and simple corded phones made the setup painless. As legacy copper sunsets, VoIP proves you can have tradition without the tangle.
The Jays, the cheers, and the calls
Even culture joined the chorus. During Toronto’s October run, phones turned into cameras, while VoIP landlines turned into connection; neighbours phoned neighbours, grandparents phoned grandkids, and households echoed with the ring of simple, human conversation. In an AI‑first world, voice felt delightfully analog and absolutely essential.
What 2025 taught us
- Infrastructure matters: open access breeds choice.
- Voice matters: when everything’s a screen, conversation is relief.
- Local matters: buying Canadian strengthens the networks behind our networks.
- AI matters: but only if it serves people, not the other way around.
2026: Make it personal
Carry forward the wins:
- Audit your calling mix (domestic vs. US) and lock in VoIP rates that match reality.
- Refresh voicemail with transcription and integrations; then actually read your messages.
- Re‑check your home internet plan against current offers; promo terms change fast.
- Keep one screen‑free voice channel at home; the best family tech sometimes isn’t a screen at all.
Oh Canada, 2025 is gone!
And with it, a reminder: when the tech gets louder, the human voice must get clearer.