Moving to a New Apartment: Internet Challenges
I’m relocating to downtown Toronto, but my new apartment has an older copper wire connection. This means I won’t get great internet speeds. The government classifies it as high-speed at 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. However, for someone like me who relies heavily on the internet, that might not be enough.
Comparing Internet Options
Bell offers a maximum of 50 Mbps for $65 monthly. Conversely, Rogers claims it can provide up to 1.5 Gbps for $100. While Rogers sounds appealing, their representative warned that many customers use traditional TV services, which could slow down both upload and download speeds. Paying for 1.5 Gbps seems pointless if the upload speed is only 50 Mbps and affected by others using the same line.
Promises of Fiber Optic Internet
What caught my attention with Bell was their promise of fiber optic installation in my new neighborhood by mid-summer. My current home is just a five-minute walk away and has fiber service already,so I hope this upgrade will restore faster gigabit speeds.
Data Usage Needs
I typically use around 3 TB of data each month—70% for downloads and 30% for uploads. This includes streaming media, downloading files, gaming occasionally, and some video work that requires better upload speeds.I could manage with Bell’s package offering 300 Mbps; however, it costs about $100 monthly—similar to fiber options.
Impact on Streaming Quality
While I can still use my usual data amount on a slower plan with only 50 Mbps speed, performance will suffer significantly when shared with my partner—leaving us each with about 25 Mbps per person. This is barely enough for good quality streaming on platforms like Apple TV+ in 4K or Netflix's recommended minimum of around 15 Mbps; though, Netflix’s higher-quality streams frequently enough appear compressed.
Skepticism About Service Promises
Despite being convinced during the sales call about future upgrades from Bell's service team, I'm doubtful they will follow through this summer as promised. To keep track of developments regarding this situation—and whether Bell's claims hold true—I plan to document updates hear after moving in.
Bell also assured me that once I relocate they would honor my existing price of $96 per month for the current plan offering up to 1.5 Gbps—but again I'm uncertain if this commitment will last once fiber becomes available at my new address.
Uncertainty Surrounding Fiber Expansion
The future remains unclear regarding Bell’s plans since they announced earlier this year that they would reduce investments in network infrastructure due to disagreements over sharing resources with Telus and other major providers. Their CEO stated plans were halted concerning expanding fiber access to millions of homes across Canada.
Though, it's certainly worth noting that Bell has previously scaled back its investments due to regulatory decisions but later resumed expansion efforts after some time passed without meaningful changes in policy or market conditions—in March alone they announced rolling out an impressive new option providing up to 8 Gbps fiber service in select areas within Ontario and Quebec.
To sum up: while there are promising options ahead regarding internet connectivity at my new place—and potential upgrades from both providers—the reality remains uncertain untill actual installations occur or further announcements are made by these companies.
