Please click on your Province below to see a list of high speed internet service providers for your province (or territory), as well as information on their plans available in the place where you live. This is very much the answer to that common question of what are the internet providers near me?
By clicking on your Province or Territory above, then the name of the place where you live, you will be able to 'find internet providers near me'. You also two more options below, one for find internet availability by postal code, and another for find internet availability by address. Having three options is convenient!
Rich or poor, having a reliable and fast internet connection is a necessity for most Canadians. Whether it’s for streaming your favorite shows, connecting with loved ones, or working from home, choosing the right internet service provider (ISP) is crucial. With a plethora of options available, from DSL to fibre-powered internet, finding and comparing internet service providers and plans in Canada can seem overwhelming. This article will guide you through the process and help you make an informed decision based on your needs and location, whether you're in Alberta or Nova Scotia.
Before diving into the specifics of providers and plans, it's essential to understand the types of internet services available in Canada. Internet services typically fall into a few categories: DSL, cable internet, fibre internet, and satellite internet. Each type offers different speeds and reliability, impacting your browsing experience.
DSL uses existing telephone lines to provide internet access. While widely available, DSL speeds are generally slower than cable and fibre options and can be affected by the distance from the service provider's facilities.
Cable internet utilizes the same coaxial cable network as cable television. It offers faster speeds than DSL and is less impacted by distance, but bandwidth may be shared with neighbors, potentially leading to slower speeds during peak hours.
Fibre-powered internet is currently the fastest and most reliable service available. It uses fibre-optic cables to deliver high-speed internet, with less signal degradation over long distances compared to DSL and cable.
Satellite internet is an option for rural areas where other types of internet services are not available. It's typically slower and more affected by weather conditions but provides internet access in remote locations.
When searching for the best internet provider in Canada, consider the following factors:
Strange as it may seem, many of the larger ISPs in Canada are actually regional in nature, and many of the smaller ISPs in Canada are actually a lot more national in nature. You may wonder how this can be? The answer is actually very simple, as the smaller ISPs use the fibre-powered cable TV networks of most of the larger ISPs, this in effect makes then 'national' in terms of the size of their service area. Such can be argued to be the case for internet companies like WRS Web Solutions Inc., The Urban Internet Company, and TekSavvy.
Canada has a mix of national and regional ISPs offering a variety of internet services. Here’s a snapshot of what's available in different provinces: Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, PEI)
In the Atlantic provinces, ISPs like Bell Aliant and Eastlink offer high-speed and fibre internet options. Rogers is also available in New Brunswick and Newfoundland, providing competitive cable and fibre internet plans.
Videotron and Bell are the dominant players in Quebec, both offering high-speed cable and fibre internet services. Smaller providers like TekSavvy and Primus also serve the area with competitive rates.
Ontario has a wide range of ISPs, including Bell, Rogers, and Cogeco, offering various internet services. Alternative providers like TekSavvy, The Urban Internet Company, and Comwave provide additional choices, often at lower prices.
In Manitoba, Bell bought MTS, so now it is Bell MTS. Bell MTS offers home internet over DSL lines (where avaialable). Shaw offer fiber-powered home internet over the Shaw cable network (Winnipeg and a bunch of places, but not Brandon). Westman Communications Group offer cable internet in Brandon and some other places.
In Saskatchewan Shaw Internet and Access Communications provide comprehensive internet services. Regina is serviced by Access, and Saskatoon is serviced by Shaw Internet. SaskTel also offers DSL internet.
Alberta residents can choose from Shaw, Telus, and Rogers, among others. Telus is known for its fibre-optic network, providing some of the fastest internet speeds in these provinces.
In Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut, people have limited options, with Northwestel being a primary provider. Satellite internet services like Starlink are also becoming available, offering high-speed internet in remote locations.
To compare internet providers effectively, leverage online comparison tools and websites that aggregate and simplify the information. Keep your key considerations in mind, and look for promotions or bundle deals that can provide additional value.
Bell offers DSL, cable, and fibre internet across many Canadian provinces. They are known for their fibre-powered internet service, which is one of the fastest available.
Rogers provides cable and fibre internet in Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and parts of Saskatchewan. Their Ignite internet plans are popular for their speed and reliability.
With a strong presence in Alberta and British Columbia, Telus is another top choice for fibre internet, promising lightning-fast speeds and dependable connections. Regional Providers
As Saskatchewan's leading provider, SaskTel offers DSL, cable, and fibre internet services, with a focus on expanding their fibre network.
Eastlink serves the Atlantic provinces and parts of Ontario and Alberta, offering high-speed internet plans with no data caps.
A major player in Quebec, Videotron provides high-speed cable and fibre internet services with a variety of plans to suit different needs.
Independent Providers are ISPs which are not woned by the larger ISPs sucha s Shaw, Telus, Rogers, Bell, Cogeco, and Videotron.
TekSavvy operates in several provinces, offering affordable DSL and cable internet plans, appealing to budget-conscious consumers.
WRS Web Solutions Inc. is known for its competitive pricing and wide range of internet services, including cable and DSL options. The Urban Internet Company
Focusing on Ontario's urban areas, The Urban Internet Company offers high-speed cable internet with a customer-centric approach.
For those looking for the cheapest internet, smaller independent ISPs often provide lower-priced alternatives to the larger companies. Keep an eye out for promotions, as many ISPs offer significant discounts for the first few months of service. Conclusion
Finding and comparing internet service providers and plans in Canada requires research and a clear understanding of your needs. Whether you're looking for the fastest fibre-powered internet in Alberta or the most cost-effective DSL in New Brunswick, there are options available to suit every requirement. Remember to check for service availability in your specific region, consider all the factors mentioned above, and use comparison tools to make the best choice for your home internet needs.
In the connected world of today, your internet service is your gateway to the world. Take the time to choose wisely, and you'll enjoy a seamless online experience, tailored to your lifestyle and budget.
Find Internet plans available at my address, or internet availability by postal code, or find internet providers in my area. Home internet providers comparison, internet providers by postal code, Canada wide for service internet providers near me, and the best internet provider near me. Compare prices, plans, and internet service providers that offer unlimited Rogers internet plans, Cogeco internet plans, Videotron internet plans, Shaw internet plans, & Eastlink internet plans, for high speed internet in Canada.
Find the best internet providers & plans in my area and compare the best internet services. In Canada, finding an Internet Service Provider (ISP) can certainly be a challenge at times. You might live in a rural area and be lucky to find any internet service providers at all, or you might live in a major city like Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton, St. Catharines - Niagara, Halifax, Oshawa, Victoria, Windsor, Barrie, Guelph, or one of the other large cities in Canada and have better home internet options. The choices can range from slim to none, to a whole bunch including perhaps internet service providers such as: Eastlink, Rogers, Cogeco, Videotron, Bell, Bell Aliant, Shaw, Telus, The Urban Internet Company, TekSavvy, and WRS Web Solutions Inc. So what is a person to do? Well we hope that by making this website we will help you find the best internet service provider to meet your needs, and at the best price.
Find internet plans available in my area. Please note that some cable internet service providers require you to sign up for a 2 year term contract, while cable internet providers others offer that as on option, and some like WRS Web Solutions Inc., The Urban Internet Company, and TekSavvy do not require term contracts. So there are options when it comes to trying to find internet plans available in my area. Strange as it may seem, thanks to the CRTC, Canadians actually appear to have more competition among home internet service providers in Canada, than Americans do in the USA.
This website is not perfect, no website ever is, but we do strive to be as accurate as possible, and we do not charge companies to be listed (some sites do). Unlike some other review and comparison sites, this website does not contain affiliate links or 'paid' reviews. Also, unlike many of the other Canadian internet providers review and comparison websites this one is actually Canadian owned. We hope that you find this website to be helpful in your quest for the best internet service provider in your area!
Some internet service providers offer the ability to lookup internet availability by postal code. One of these is The Urban Internet Company. Another is WRS Web Solutions Inc. Both offer highly accurate results for the lookup of internet availability by postal code. This is very useful feature!
Both of the above two companies also offer the ability to ask them to manually look up an address for internet availability by address. Many other internet service providers offer the ability to search for internet availability by address, with varying degrees of accuracy in terms of the results provided. Some people may find that different companies provide conflicting results for internet availability by address searches. That can be confusing, and rather annoying.
Internet plans and internet providers by postal code. Finding a truly accurate list of internet providers by postal code can be a real challenge. The Government of Canada has a couple of incomplete web based lists, based on data provided only by facilities based internet service providers (intentionally excluding the other internet service providers). This is further complicated by the fact that the data provided is of varying degrees of accuracy. Some websites says that they provide a list of internet providers by postal code but the data tends to be incomplete and in some cases way off the mark, same for the plans and prices listed against those ISPs, in part as it looks like the data was never updated.
Below is a list of many of the unlimited home internet plans offered in parts of Canada by Canadian internet providers. This gives you a list to start from in your comparison of home internet plans offered by these various Canadian internet providers. Some also offer home phone and TV channels.
The types of internet vary. It is also a bit complicated by the fact that some internet service providers sometimes use different terms for the same thing. So to start with let's look at few of the most common types of internet:
Cable internet (also known as coax cable internet) is perhaps the most common type of internet, and usually the cheapest type with the best speeds. It is delivered over a coax cable TV line. For those of you who remember 'cable TV' (whether it was from the days of just a few channels or "999 channels and nothing to watch"), yep, that is/was cable TV. Some people are still 'paying though the nose' for it, and many (who are able to) have opted to drop cable TV and get Netflix. So that is 'cable internet'. The only catch is that in he last couple of years some of the newer address think that they have 'cable internet' when they actually have 'fibre internet'. It can make things confusing. This type of internet does not necessarily include cable TV channels.
DSL Internet is delivered over a phone line, without making your line 'busy', so use of the phone is not affected. These days most DSL is actually ADSL or VDSL technology, but for simplicity of marketing most internet service providers refer to it as 'DSL'. Rural address often only get DSL speeds of about 6 mbps down and 1 mbps up, which is very slow, but still likely cheaper than 'wireless' and faster than 'dial up'. In urban areas the speeds are comparable to 'cable internet'.
FTTN is fibre to the neighbourhood (or node), then copper phone line (or if you are lucky fibre) to the home. Many internet service providers include FTTN under their DSL offerings. DSL speeds of 10 mbps or more are often delivered as FTTN. FTTN is the next best thing to cable internet, and especially for the higher speeds is very comparable to cable internet.
Fibre To the Home (FTTH), is better than cable internet, as it is usually faster. When Rogers advertised Gigabit internet, they are usually referring to FTTH. Most cable companies wiring new homes today are using fibre wiring as opposed to the traditional coax cable TV cable. Some ISPs call this FTTP.
Satellite Internet is perhaps the most expensive form of internet. Speeds are often not as fast as cable internet. If you can, try to get cable internet or DSL.
Point to point is often more expensive than most of the other options. Enough said. If you can go with cable internet, DSL or fibre, FTTN etc.
Dial up internet is less common these days. It still exists in some places. Few companies offer it. It is not 'fast'. Customers who have it, often wish they had something better.
Internet Service Providers In My Area. So how does one find out what the internet Service Providers In My Area are? OK, let's start with your local cable company. Cable companies are assigned geographic monopolies by the CRTC, so they usually cannot compete with one another on 'cable internet' as their liens do not overlap. Chances are that your local cable TV company offers cable internet. In the case of Cogeco, we know that some parts of heir cable TV networks are not cable of offering cable internet.
When the cable TV companies got into the cell phone business, in most cases they started to become more of a cell phone company than a cable TV company. This means that they often then began to offer ‘wireless internet’, which lessoned their incentive to extend their cable TV networks, as ‘wireless internet’ is likely far more profitable for them than just about anything else they offer. Ask anyone with a big cell phone bill for ‘data’. We get people talking us about bills of hundreds of dollars per month, even as high as almost a thousand dollars a month, due to ‘wireless internet’ data usage at their homes. Needless to say they were looking for other ‘options’! The sad part about it is though, that often they are not able to find any other options.
The CRTC, bless their hearts, did insist on some competition in the cable internet service provider marketplace, in some parts of the country. This enabled some companies such as WRS Web Solutions Inc. (and others) to compete with the cable companies in offering 'cable internet' (but not cable TV channels) using the cable companies own cable lines. Unfortunately such companies are not able to compete in all parts of the country, or on all cable TV networks, but they do try hard! Other examples include TekSavvy, VMedia, Start, and The Urban Internet Company, to mention a few. These companies often also got some degree of access to the phone company DSL and FTTN lines in some parts of the country.