The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that for Canadian telecom investors, 2024 was a year they would rather forget. The Globe's Irene Galea writes that while the overall S&P/TSX Composite Index rose by 18 per cent over the year, the five-company telecom index fell by more than 20 per cent -- and the performance of two of the largest telcos was worse than in 2008, when the global financial crisis pummelled markets around the world. Fierce competition for mobile customers suppressed revenue growth. High debt levels persisted or even increased further in some cases, despite companies' goals to pay them down. Also, controversial regulatory decisions created lingering uncertainty over the future of shared networks. Meanwhile, the telcos remained beholden to a sluggish economy, regulation set by the CRTC and the whims of the federal government which lowered immigration targets for future years, limiting customer growth. Despite this, 2024 also saw the telcos positioning themselves for the future realities of a mature market, orienting their ships down slightly different paths. While some of those decisions confused investors, others unveiled the promise of potential new revenue streams outside Canada.