ISPs and Plans: Ontario, Canada - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2020, 05:00:50 pm
content: Hey guys... anyone anywhere near my neck of the GWN (Ontario), I need to pick a brain. What are the ISP plans you have available and how much?We need to get internet at the new place, and our options appear to be Bell FTTN(so TP copper to the house - my gut reaction after too many experiences with AT&T is "Not only no, but HELL NO!")and Rogers Cable or some TPIA reselling the same.Problem is, cheapest I can find for our new address is 150/15 plan at $99/mo! That is"Are you f***ing high on crack!!"rates compared to the $60/mo we're currently paying for the same service from them via the property owner; obviously they're trying to force you to switch up to their .5Gb or 1.0Gb plans for 10/20 dollars more.So... any real, current data (not just random pissing/moaning on reddit, etc) would be a great help here; I'd like to make an informed decision.Cheers,mnem

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2020, 05:44:57 pm
content: Now sure exactly where in the province you are, I'm in KW region paying 75$/month (+tax) for 150/15 (this includes free modem rental/rent-to-own which normally would go for another $10/month or something like that) via Rogers. They also have 75/10 plan, which should be cheaper. They do call me every once in a while and offer upgrades, but I'm more than happy with what I have now and see no reason to upgrade.If you already have a cell phone with Rogers, and/or interested in cable TV or landline (not sure why you'd want it, but hey - it's your choice), they have bundles which can save you quite a bit of money. Also, call them from time to time and ask about promos - you can get all kinds of discounts or higher tier products for lower tier prices. This way I got 20 GB of LTE data for the price of 10 GB for both me and my wife, as well as permanent 25$/month discount for the second line (used by my wife).

author: alpher
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2020, 06:36:33 pm
content: Teksavvy does both cable and dsl service in Ontario, significantly cheaper that either Rogers or Bell.Just don't expect any customer service from them.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2020, 08:21:56 pm
content: Teksavvy, paying roughly $80 (tax included) for cable, unlimited download. You better forget about Bell and Rogers. Never needed to call Teksavvy for problems since there was none (after 3 years). They use Rogers infrastructure BTW, so why pay more.

author: Miti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 11:44:50 am
content: +1 for Teksavvy, even though they hiked the price by 20%, from $49.95 to $59.95 plus 13% tax for a 30/5 unlimited plan, and they blame it on the federal government for that.Since I ditched Rogers, 5 years ago, I did not have any technician in my house.I only had 2 major issues, once when most of the ISPs were down in Ontario, both were resolved within few hours.The rates we pay for internet and cellphones in Ontario / Canada are ridiculous. These should be treated as essential services these days, not as cash cow.

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 12:42:41 pm
content: TekSavvy is one of the TPIAs reselling Rogers I was talking about.Aside from the 150 plan, their rates to my new address are more than Rogers direct, and then you have to add on a gateway router at $12-17/month, which brings even the 150 plan right in line with Rogers direct.mnem

author: Gribo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 01:22:05 pm
content: If you are on cable, you can buy the modem (~200$, if you can find one from their list). There is also Fiberstream, which serves some locations, mainly condos.

author: cyclin_al
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 07:59:34 pm
content: Hi Dwagon,I asked a couple of friends who are still in the GTA, one rather close to where you are at.The consensus was that Teksavvy was a the go to choice a few years ago (but not so much now). Teksavvy is a re-seller and uses DSL and Cable, whichever they can buy cheapest in bulk in a specific zone.It seems the latest choice my friends are going for now is CarryTel.Check out this link:http://carrytel.ca/internet-plans.aspxOne friend uses Rogers, but got a good bundle deal a few years back and is not willing to change anything for fear of losing the bundle rate.Another uses FibreStream, since their condo building has a server on site with them, but they service only specific buildings.My experience with Bell is that you can often get a better deal if you agree to a contract, usually for 1 year. What they do is hope that you forget the end of the year and then automatically crank up the price to maximum. If you diligently phone back every year just before the end of the year, you can usually get a better deal than the regularly advertised rate.However, Bell can come with issues; coming soon to a TEA thread near you.Don't forget that you already own a DSL modem from your Thrift Store jammy git acquisitions! You might be able to re-use that. Just be on the lookout in case it has modem phone home to ma Bell functionality in the firmware...

author: bw2341
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 06:37:05 pm
content: For readers outside of Canada,Third-PartyInternetAccess providers are ISPs that purchase wholesale access to the last mile connection from the incumbent telephone and cable providers.Unfortunately, it looks like prices are going up. Last year, the incumbents were using their flanker brands to undercut the TPIAs, selling service for cheaper than the wholesale prices paid by the TPIAs. In the fall, the CRTC issued an order slashing wholesale prices with years of retroactive repayments to the TPIAs.Of course the incumbents were angry and they got the courts to suspend the order, and dumped huge filings that will take years to sort through. To influence the politicians, they threatened jobs cuts and cancellation of fibre upgrades in expensive lower density rural areas.Now, with COVID-19, the incumbents are crying poor, citing increased Internet usage. Sure, the costs are going up, but it's their mobile, TV channels and sports team businesses that are losing revenue. In response, retail Internet prices are going up.There is a difference between the cheaper and more expensive TPIAs. The wholesale costs have a fixed monthly amount plus a capacity component. The TPIAs have to purchase enough wholesale capacity to support all their customers at times of peak usage. I'm not a Carrytel customer, but I've read reports of slow speeds in the evenings and this would make sense if they were skimping on capacity.

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2020, 01:36:03 am
content: Thanks everyone for your input; for the time being, I'm using the property-owner-provided internet service; they have FiDO. Some hiccups while watching TV, but very infrequent.Once we're settled in and have recovered a little from the cost of this unexpected move, we will look into our own service.Cheers,mnem

author: bw2341
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 28, 2020, 03:14:45 am
content: There is a bit of movement in the drama between the TPIAs and incumbents. The Federal Court of Appeal rejected the incumbents appeal of the CRTC order. They can appeal to the Supreme Court but the FCA found that the CRTC acted correctly and the claims in the appeal were matters of fact, not law, which would leave no grounds for appeal.So while lower wholesale prices are current, the tarrifs haven't been filed and the cheques haven't been written. The CRTC is in the middle of a Review and Vary on the topic. Teksavvy is being aggressive and are withholding their payments to Bell and Rogers.