IPTV Halifax

When people say “Halifax”, they can mean the peninsula, the whole harbour, or a municipality that stretches across more than 5,400 square kilometres of coast and countryside. For streaming TV, the difference matters. A condo downtown, a house in Dartmouth and a home on the Eastern Shore can be on completely different kinds of internet. Here is how home internet works across the Halifax Regional Municipality, and what Boom TV needs to run well on your connection.

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One municipality since 1996

On 1 April 1996, Nova Scotia merged four municipalities into one: the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, the town of Bedford, and Halifax County. The result is the Halifax Regional Municipality, home to 439,819 people at the 2021 census.

It is a big place. The municipality covers about 5,476 square kilometres. Its urban core surrounds Halifax Harbour, with ferries running between downtown Halifax and Dartmouth. Yet its urban area takes up less than five percent of that land. Its communities range from Cole Harbour, Lower Sackville and Spryfield to the Eastern Shore.

So “Halifax” covers city blocks, suburbs and long rural roads, and home internet changes as you move between them.

Eastlink, Bell, and who owns the lines

Network data compiled from CRTC filings shows who owns the wired lines across the municipality:

• Eastlink owns the cable (coaxial) network. It’s a Nova Scotia company, headquartered in Halifax, which started in Amherst in 1969.
• Bell owns fibre-to-the-home across much of the municipality, and DSL in some areas. Eastlink is also listed as a fibre owner in a smaller share of the zones.
• Fixed wireless networks are mapped in almost all of the municipality’s zones, and satellite in all of them.

The mapped data shows Bell’s fibre in about two-thirds of the municipality’s zones and Eastlink’s cable in about four in ten, across an area that is mostly outside the urban core.

Boom TV runs on any of these connections. It’s an app you install and sign into. Nothing is installed on the line, and nothing changes on your Eastlink or Bell account.

Rural HRM: check your connection first

Nova Scotia has run a province-wide program, the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative, to bring high-speed internet to under-served addresses, and one of its zones covers HRM and the Eastern Shore. The program says it is nearing completion, and that as of August 2026 about 500 civic addresses were still waiting for access.

If you live outside the urban core, your connection might be fixed wireless, satellite, DSL or fibre. Mapped network data lists several fixed wireless companies in the municipality, the largest being Seaside, alongside Rogers, Bell and Xplore, and satellite service from Xplore mapped in every zone. Any of these can stream if the speed holds up, but evening performance is what counts. Run a speed test in the evening, in the room with the TV, and compare it with the table below.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

If a fast connection still buffers, the cause is often inside the house:

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi rather than 2.4 GHz. It’s faster, and less crowded in apartment buildings.
• Run Ethernet to the main TV if the router is close enough.
• Keep the router out of basements and cabinets. Walls and floors cost signal.
• Count everyone else on the network. Downloads and video calls share the same connection as your TV.

Getting set up in Halifax

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Test it in the evening, when home internet is busiest, on the TV you actually use.
2. Install the app on a streaming stick, TV box, smart TV, phone, tablet or computer, and sign in with the details sent by email.
3. Connect 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, no new wiring, and no change to your internet account.

Frequently asked questions

Does Boom TV work on Eastlink internet?

Yes. Eastlink owns the cable network in the Halifax area, and Boom TV runs over it the same way it runs over Bell fibre or DSL. Nothing on your Eastlink account changes.

I live in Dartmouth or Bedford. Is it the same?

Yes. Dartmouth and Bedford have been part of the same municipality as Halifax since 1996, and Boom TV works the same anywhere you have a reliable home connection.

Will it work on fixed wireless in rural HRM?

It can, if your connection keeps up. Aim for about 10 Mbps per HD stream, test in the evening, and use the free trial to check before you pay.

Does it work on Bell fibre or satellite?

Boom TV works on Bell fibre the same way it works on Eastlink cable. Satellite internet is mapped across the municipality, but speeds and evening performance vary, so run the free trial on your own line before you choose a plan.

What speed do I need for 4K?

About 25 Mbps per 4K stream, and about 10 Mbps per HD stream. Add them together for several screens.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. It lasts 24 hours and is free. Start the trial or compare plans.