Cheapest Internet Providers In Canada

Not too long ago we wrote about how Public Mobile has drastically decreased our phone bill by dropping our monthly phone plan to $5/month.  Today we are going to tackle another monthly reoccurring bill that most people are overpaying for: internet.

How Much Do You Pay For Your Monthly Internet?

I’m going to take a guess that you are currently with a larger, well known, internet provider such as Shaw, Bell, Rogers, or Telus if you’re reading this from Canada.  Do you spend $50?  $100?  $150???  While there is nothing wrong with the service of these providers, you’re likely paying a premium to have your internet be supplied by these larger companies.

Did you know the Canadian Radio-television and Telecom Commissions (CRTC), which is part of the Government of Canada, is trying to foster more competitive rates across Canada?  How so you ask?

Independent Service Providers (ISPs)

“To foster competition at the wholesale level, the CRTC requires that large companies sell access to their networks under specific terms and conditions. Service providers use this access, with their own networks, to offer Internet and other services to their own retail customers. In other words, independent service providers are wholesale customers of large cable and telephone companies.”

This is huge! What this means is that smaller competitors are able to come in and utilize the existing networks at rates far below the big boys.  Meaning the service is the SAME.  These ISPs must buy access to infrastructure owned by former monopoly carriers at wholesale rates set by the CRTC.  Sure they may not have as many brick and mortar offices, or staff in general, but this is what allows them to keep their costs low AND the service you receive when you plug in to your wall is the same service you’ll get from the big guys.  The benefit to consumers is clear – lower wholesale rates means lower retail prices and more network investments from competitors.  Understand this concept an you’re golden.

The big boys are hurting as their days of running a monopoly are over and they are being forced to expand their loyalty department to try and keep you on board by lowering your rate if you threaten to leave.  Here here!

Back in August 2019 the federal telecom regulator significantly lowered wholesale rates that smaller internet resellers pay to access broadband network infrastructure built by major providers.  Now of course, the big guys aren’t going to just sit back and let competition in without putting up a fight.  Unfortunately the big players are trying to fight back and now frozen wholesale rates are forcing some of Canada’s smaller ISPs to hike prices (by ~$5/month).  Don’t let this scare you away, the rates from the ISPs are still considerably cheaper. This interview with TekSavvy’s VP of Privacy and Consumer Legal Affairs explains the details even further.

Our Real Life Example

We were right there with you, we didn’t know about these smaller players in town and went for one of the big guys in our area – Telus.

We were with Telus for ~3 years paying $50/month originally which eventually creeped up to $79/month for the same 10 mbps service as they occasionally would bump up rates for no apparent reason.  Talk about frustrating!  After the last hike from $74 to $79 for the same exact plan, I had enough.  It was time to look for other options.

After doing a Google search, it appeared that TekSavvy and Lightspeed were two low cost competitors available in our area outside of Calgary.  In late 2019 we ended up choosing Lightspeed which is a wholesale provider of Telus and Shaw aka the same service as the big guys but for a fraction of the cost! We are now paying $34/month (including tax) for 30 mbps cable internet versus our previous plan mentioned above with Telus was at 10 mbps for $79.  A faster speed at a lower cost, what a concept?!

Once the switch was made, I called Telus to cancel our service. They were desperately trying to keep us as customers and asked what we were quoted from the other company and offered to reduce our $79/month bill to $30/month (taxes included) if we signed up for a 2 year plan.  Crazy what a simple phone call will do.

We had already committed to Lightspeed and bought a modem with them (we had the option to rent or buy, we chose to buy) but it was tempting to consider Telus’ counter since it was a few bucks cheaper and everything was already all setup.  However, since Telus slowly crept up the price on us in the past we didn’t have faith that the bill would remain at $30/month for the next two years.  After speaking to a friend about this, they mentioned how unless you get that price documented in writing vs a verbal agreement, Telus will very likely slowly add in additional fees over the course of that 2 year commitment that you’re on the hook for.

And how are we finding Lightspeed? So far so good! No complaints at all and our bank accounts are thanking us for the switch.  Our modem arrived in the mail within a few days and a tech came out to our house (free of charge) the next day to install everything and ensure our modem and router were working properly.  The only other time we interacted with their customer service team was to set up auto pay and both interactions were quick and painless.  We are more than happy with the 30 mbps speed as we aren’t gamers or downloading large documents or streaming multiple devices for hours on end (and its faster than what we had in the past). There’s no contract so we can make changes at any time without incurring any fees.  And the price can’t be beat!

Like Public Mobile, we are in no way sponsored or affiliated with Lightspeed.  We simply are trying to shed some light on how to lower your monthly internet bills.

If you do end up making the switch over to Lightspeed yourself, you can use our referral code 50618 to receive $10 off when you sign up (which typically processes after your account has been in good standing for 90 days).  You can learn more about Lightspeed’s referral program here.

Ole Faithful

Now if you want nothing to do with the smaller independent service providers you aren’t totally out of luck.  While the bigger players tend to be more expensive and try to lock you in for a set duration (i.e. 2 years), you likely can find a good rate if you are willing to lock in for a set term.  Typically they will lower the rates of the first 6 months too.  These larger companies are feeling the burn from the competitiveness of the smaller guys so it’s always worth calling their customer retention team every few months with some research ammo in hand to see if they will lower your rate even further (set a reminder to pop up on your phone every 4-6 months).  They likely will throw in some sort of perk or reduced payment to try and keep your pennies.

From what I’ve found, Bell and Rogers tend to cover eastern Canada and Telus and Shaw are the big wigs out west and then of course Sasktel runs shop in SK.  Here’s a list of the best rates I’ve been able to find from the bigger players out there offering at a minimum 10 mbps (note sometimes I am required to put in a specific address so these may be rates for my home in particular or some made up address)

• Shaw: $49/mo for 12 months, then $74/mo in year 2, then $89/mo: 2 year plan, 50 mbps, 450 GB usage.
• Telus: $60/mo for 24 months, then $85/mo: 2 year plan, 25 mbps, unlimited data for 24 months then $15/mo (I’m assuming this means they hike up your bill by $15/mo to have unlimited data after 24 months?)
• Rogers Ignite: $49/mo monthly plan: 10 mbps, 100 GB usage
• Bell Fibe: $49/mo: 10 mbps, 100 GB useage
• Sasktel: $29/mo for 3 months then $59/mo afterwards: 20 mbps, unlimited usage

Notice anything about ALL of these rates vs our Lightspeed plan? Assuming I intend to have internet for more than 3 months, ALL of these plans are more expensive and all but Shaw are for speeds SLOWER than what we have with Lightspeed.

Cheaper Independent Service Providers

Similar to the big guys, we noticed that the cheaper alternative independent service providers seem to be a bit regional.  Depending on which province you live in, there likely are much cheaper alternatives to dig into.  Here is a list of some of the low cost internet service providers in Canada we found that offer internet packages below $50/month (in alphabetical order).  Check out each website to see if they service your location.

• Acanac: $39/mo: 15 mbps, unlimited usage
• AEBC: $34/mo: 25 mbps, unlimited data
• B2B2C: $39/mo: 10 mbps UP 50 mbps DL, unlimited usage, wifi modem included, $89.95 activation fee + $19.95 shipping
• Can-com: $30/mo: 15 mbps, unlimited usage
• Carrytel: $30/mo for first 3 months then $35/mo : 10 mbps UP 75 mbps DL, unlimited data
• Comwave: $49/mo: 30 mbps, unlimited usage
• Diallog: Unsure of rates as I did not want want to fill in my name and email to check service availability in my area
• Distributel: Prices vary by province $25/mo: 25 mbps, unlimited usage in ON, QC – same plan is $40 in AB, BC
• Eastlink: Prices vary on location but they service select locations in AB, BC, NB, NL, NS, ON, and PE.  Plans seem to start at $75/mo for 100 mbps, unlimited usage
• Eyesurf: $45/mo: 25 mbps, unlimited usage
• Execulink: 30 mbps, unlimited – unable to see price as service is not available in my area
• FibreStream: $35/mo: 50 mpbs, unlimited usage
• Fido: $45/mo 150 mbps for 12 months if activating for the first time + a $150 gift card to Amazon or Walmart.  (Had a really tough time on their website to find plans and read about this on Red Flag Deals as of 9/5/2020. Likely have to call or go into a store to set up home internet.)
• High Speed Crow: $25/mo + port charges: 10 mbps, 300 GB usage
• KWIC: $49.95/mo: 10 mbps UP, 25 mbps DL. unlimited data
• Lightspeed: $33/mo: 30 mbps, unlimited usage (this is what we have)
• Nucleus: $27/mo: 15 mbps, unlimited usage
• Primus: Unable to find a fake address that works in their system to get rates provided
• Sunwire: $45/mo 10 mbps UP 25 mbps DL or $50/mo 10 mbps UP 50 mbps DL, unlimited data
• Smart: $55/mo: 10 mbps UP, 40 mbps DL, unlimited data
• TekSavvy: $44/mo: 30 mbps, unlimited usage
• Transat Telecom: $28/mo: 10 mbps UP 15 mbps DL, unlimited usage
• Xplornet: $39/mo for 3 months then $99/mo: 25 mbps, unlimited usage
• Virgin Mobile: $45/mo: 25 mbps, 200 GB usage – or $50/mo for unlimited usage
• Vmedia: $19/mo for 2 months then $36/mo: 15 mbps, unlimited usage

There you have it.  And this is not an all inclusive list.  Check out this page from the CRTC to dig even further.

As mentioned, like the big players, many of these providers to not service ALL of Canada so you may have to do some digging to find the few that service your specific location.  You should be able to find one, if not more, assuming you live on the mainland and not in a super rural area. If you do live in a rural area, we’ve heard positive feedback from others who use Telus Smart Hub.

As you can see, many of these smaller companies are able to offer faster speeds for the same price as the larger players.  Make sure to read all the details as some plans (from both the big and little guys) make you pay for an activation fee, or an installation fee, or a modem rental, or the upload speed is not the same as the download speed, etc. Once you find the plan that services your area and meets your needs, have at ‘er!

Community Shout Out

We reached out to members of the Choose FI Canada Facebook page to see what people across Canada are spending on their internet plans and here’s what they provided:

• Ursina from MRC Pontiac (NW of Ottawa in Quebec) pays $55/month with Pioneer Wireless for 5 mbps unlimited.  You have to be high enough off the valley floor (Ottawa River) to access this provider via a satellite dish.  Pioneer covers from Luskville up to Bryson.  The only other option is Xplornet, which is a similar price but limited usage and speed.  An internet and landline package would cost $200/month.
• Dan has two rentals, one in Waterloo and one in Kitchener, and pays $33/mo each for unlimited Virgin Mobile home internet.
• Dustin from Alberta uses Teksavvy for $40/mo 30 mbps DL 7 mbps UL unlimited data.  They are Shaw cables and they fight for consumer right regularly.
• Kristan from Saskatchewan noted that it’s not just about being the cheapest.  She is currently with SaskTel for $55/mo.  She has tried other companies and found that their service is subpar and their service technicians are rude.
• Aaron from Alberta uses Lightspeed and pays $25 for 5 mbps cable internet with unlimited bandwidth.
• Avi from BC uses Primus and pays $49.18 that he purchased through Costco.
• Steph from Alberta decided to ditch home wifi as it was cheaper for her to upgrade her phone plan to unlimited data instead.  Prior to that change, she was paying $80 with Shaw for 300 mbps speed.  Now that’s some creative thinking!
• RJ is located in rural NB where there is only one provider available that services their area, Xplornet.  They pay $115/month for 25 mbps yet they almost never see that speed.  There is a slightly cheaper option but it will not support two at home IT professionals and a student working online.
• Whitney mentioned that they just purchased a property in Saint John and are using Bell Aliant and paying $100/month.
• Laura from Ottawa, ON uses Rogers Ignite 150 mbps paying $125/month.
• Brett from Ontario is using TekSavvy 150 mbps DL 15 mbps UL paying $62.95 plus $20/month add-on cable app.  This speed supports two parents working from home and their kid doing school work and playing video games at home.
• Scott from Alberta uses Can-com paying $30/month for 20 mbps.
• Ryan from Alberta pays $60/month for Shaw 300 mbps.
• Roxanne from Vancouver uses Lightspeed for $56/month with 25 mbps ADSL unlimited.
• Jeff from BC uses Shaw 300 mbps for $60 on a 2 year plan (it was $50 for 6 months).
• Bob from Vancouver uses Shaw 600 mbps for $55 for a two year term.
• Jennifer pays $10 to the provider of her choice as a student registered with a disability on student loans.  The federal government sent her a special code to share with the company she signed up with (Telus).  Her internet went from $70/month 10 mbps to $10/month for the 20 mbps plan.
• Kerri from New Brunswick pays $105/month for 45 mbps unlimited and noted that NB does not have a lot of options. Four years ago they paid $60/month with Bell.
• Abid in Alberta pays $40/month with Telus 150 mbps unlimited.  It’s bundled with PIK TV for $5/month which also includes Crave subscription. It comes with a 2 year agreement.
• Laura in Southern Ontario pays $99/month with Metroloop for 17 mbps DL 28.7 mbps UL.
• Chrissy from Vancouver pays $44.75/month (tax included) for 75 mbps with Lightspeed.  She has been with them for 2 years and stated the service has been excellent, no complaints!  She also voiced that they buy internet at wholesale prices from Telus and Shaw (aka IT’S THE SAME SERVICE).
• Frugal Canuck is in Ottawa and pays $25/month with Rogers Ignite Internet 75 mbps unlimited data plan.  He also still has a land line for $0/month for the next 24 months with Fido.
• Brianne in Toronto is with Rogers and pays $50/month for 75 mbps unlimited data.  She shares this with her neighbor who pays half.  She was originally on the same plan for $80/month but decided to switch to Bell.  On the install day, Rogers called and offered her this plan to stay with them so she agreed.
• Laura from Southern Ontario pays $99/month with Metroloop with 17.1 mbps DL and 28.7 mbps UL speeds.
• Ryan from Kitchener, Ontario pays $45/month with Fio for 75 mbps and unlimited data. (I had a really hard time navigating through their site to find available internet plans.)

Wow what a great range of responses from all over the country!  Thank you to all who provided this insight.

My take away from all of these responses is:

1. See if someone listed above has your same provider but is getting a better rate or faster speed for the same price you’re paying.  Call up your provider and ask for a match.
2. See if anyone listed above is in your same area and with a different provider for a much more affordable plan.  Reach out to that provider and look into current plans.  If something listed above is better, ask for a price match.

Key Takeaways

• Do your research!  See what low cost independent service providers are in your area. If you’re scared that the service won’t be the same, hopefully this post helps calm some nerves. Find people in your area who have made the switch and get more clarification from their personal stories to give you the confidence you need to switch teams.
• Call the loyalty retention team of your current provider to see if they can lower your current rate. (Have a list of the low carrier options and their prices to use as leverage.)
• Inquire about special rates such as student or disability discounts.
• See if you can share your internet costs with a neighbor or roommate. Or perhaps you rent a basement suite and can split costs with the folks above you?
• Don’ be afraid to jump ship – there are MANY low cost internet providers out there.
• Anyone holding on because their internet is bundled with cable, PIK TV, etc. – my personal advice is to ditch the tube. We’ve been without cable for 4 years now and no complaints, in fact I’d say life is much more enjoyable without it.  Practically anything can be streamed for free these days if there’s a particular event you just “need” to watch.

Your turn to chime in!  Where in the world are you located, how much do you pay for your internet, and what speed is it?  Do you have any creative solutions to lower your monthly internet costs?  Please let us know in the comments below so we can see how much people all around the world are paying for their internet.

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We believe in stacking up life hacks to keep your enjoyment levels to the max without depleting your bank account.  Here are some ways to further educate yourself and save thousands of dollars over your lifetime by making some simple adjustments:

• Investing Newbies: Check out our free Investing 101 Series.
• How much are you paying for your phone plan?  Canadians, learn more about Public Mobile, and see how we are paying $3/mo for our cell phone plan.
• How much are you paying for home insurance?  We were able to reduce our rates by 25% by switching over to Square One Insurance.  If you live in BC, AB, SK, MB, and ON, check out Square One for your home insurance, landlord insurance, and/or tenant insurance.  Use this link to receive an extra $15 off your quote.  (Note that you must use this link to start the process to get the $15 off even if you prefer to pay over the phone.)
• How much are you paying for your monthly utility bills?  See how you can likely save on this monthly expense.

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