IPTV Guelph

Guelph is its own city. It has run its own affairs separately from Wellington County since 1879, and it sits about 22 km from Kitchener and 70 km from Toronto. Its internet story is local too. A few years ago Bell set out to expand fibre across Guelph, then slowed the project down partway through. The result is a city where some streets have fibre and their neighbours don’t. Here is what that means for streaming live TV, and how to get Boom TV working well whichever side of that line you’re on.

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Guelph’s unfinished fibre rollout

Around 2021, Bell announced a three-year plan to expand fibre-to-the-home in Guelph, adding thousands of homes and businesses a year to the roughly 10,000 that already had it.

Then the plan changed. According to the City of Guelph, Bell decided to slow its fibre upgrades within the city as a result of a CRTC decision. It said it would finish the neighbourhood work it had already started.

So in Guelph, fibre availability can vary street by street. A home in one subdivision may have Bell fibre while a house a few blocks away is still on DSL. If fibre isn’t available at your address yet, there’s no fixed date for when it will be.

The good news for streaming is that you don’t need fibre. A good cable connection handles live TV comfortably, and Guelph has one citywide.

Who provides home internet in Guelph

• Rogers owns the cable (coaxial) network across Guelph, and has fibre in some parts of the city as well.
• Bell has DSL across the city and fibre wherever its rollout reached.
• Smaller fibre operators serve some pockets and buildings.

Resellers also sell plans over the Rogers and Bell networks, so the company on your bill may not own the line to your door.

Boom TV runs over any of them. There’s no cable box, nothing is installed on the line, and your internet account stays exactly as it is.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

On Rogers cable or Bell fibre, you’ll almost certainly clear these with room to spare.

On Bell DSL, it depends on the line. Some DSL connections in Guelph handle HD on one or two screens well. 4K on several screens may be too much. Run a speed test in the evening, in the room with the TV, and compare it with the table. If it’s tight, keep one screen in HD, or ask your provider whether cable or fibre has reached your street.

Fixing buffering at home

When streaming stutters on a decent connection, the problem is usually inside the house:

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, not 2.4 GHz. In student rentals and shared houses near the university, the 2.4 GHz band gets crowded fast.
• Run an Ethernet cable to the main TV. Even a long, flat cable along the baseboard beats Wi-Fi for live TV.
• Count the devices. Four people streaming, gaming and on video calls at once add up. Check your total against the table above.
• Put the router somewhere central and open, not in a basement corner.

Moving within Guelph? Check the new address

Because fibre in Guelph can vary street by street, moving across town can change your internet options, even if you stay with the same company. Before you move, look up the new address on each provider’s availability checker, rather than assuming you’ll get the plan you have now. If the new place only has DSL, consider Rogers cable there for streaming several screens at once. Boom TV moves with you. You just sign in on the new connection, with nothing to transfer or reinstall on the line.

Getting set up in Guelph

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Test it in the evening on your actual line. That is the real test, especially on DSL.
2. Install the app on a streaming stick, TV box, smart TV, phone, tablet or computer, and sign in with the details from your email.
3. Connect the TV to 5 GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet and watch for a full evening. If it plays cleanly, choose a plan on the plans page.

No installer and nothing to return.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need fibre to use Boom TV in Guelph? No. Rogers cable, available across the city, handles live TV comfortably, and so does fibre. Some DSL lines manage HD on a screen or two. Test your line with the free trial first.

Why does my street not have fibre when the next one does? Bell set out to expand fibre across Guelph, then slowed the work after a CRTC decision and said it would finish the neighbourhood work it had already started. Fibre in Guelph is uneven.

Does Boom TV work on Rogers in Guelph? Yes. Rogers owns Guelph’s cable network, and Boom TV runs over it just as it does over Bell fibre or DSL. Nothing changes on your Rogers account.

What speed do I need for 4K? About 25 Mbps per 4K stream, or about 10 Mbps per HD stream.

I’m in a shared student house. Will it work? Usually, yes, if the house connection isn’t overloaded. Put the TV on 5 GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and check how many people are streaming at once.

Is there a free trial? Yes. It lasts 24 hours and is free. Start the trial or compare plans.