IPTV London

London is a big city with a rural streak. The 2021 census counted 422,324 people, yet a large part of the land inside today’s city limits belonged to a rural township until 1993. For streaming TV, that history shows up in the lines in the ground. Depending on the street, a London home might be on cable, on fibre from one of several companies, or on older DSL. Here is how London’s home internet fits together, and what Boom TV needs to run smoothly on it.

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A city that doubled in size, twice

London has grown through two large annexations. In 1961 it absorbed neighbouring communities, including Byron and Masonville, and more than doubled its area. In 1993 it took in nearly all of Westminster Township, a large rural municipality to the south, plus part of London Township, and almost doubled in area again.

London is also politically separate from Middlesex County, even though it remains the county seat. So the city itself takes in both the old core around the Forks of the Thames, where the river’s north and south branches meet, and former rural township land to the south.

What that means for streaming: two London addresses a few kilometres apart can be on quite different technology. A friend’s great connection across town tells you about their line, not yours.

Who owns the wires in London

Network data compiled from CRTC filings gives a clear picture of who owns the lines. These are network owners, not every company that sells service:

• Rogers is the only cable (coaxial) network owner in London. It is also listed as a fibre-to-the-home owner in parts of the city.
• Bell owns fibre-to-the-home across much of London, and its DSL network is mapped in nearly all of the city’s zones.
• Start.ca, a company headquartered in London, also owns fibre in parts of the city.
• Other fibre owners, including smaller regional operators, are mapped in parts of the city too.

Resellers sell plans over these lines too, so the name on your bill may not be the company that owns the wire to your door. For streaming, that doesn’t matter much. What matters is the steady speed you get in the room with the TV.

Boom TV works the same on any of them. It’s an app you install and sign into. Nothing is installed on the line, and nothing changes on your account with your internet provider.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

If you’re on cable or fibre, check your plan against that table. If you’re on DSL, run a speed test first, in the evening, in the room with the TV. If the result is under about 10 Mbps for each screen you want to use, stick to one screen at a time or a lower quality setting.

When it buffers, look inside the house first

On a good connection, streaming trouble often starts between the router and the TV:

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi rather than 2.4 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is slower and gets crowded in apartment buildings and townhouse rows.
• Plug the main TV into the router with Ethernet if you can. A wired connection takes Wi-Fi out of the picture.
• Move the router up and out. A router in a basement corner or inside a cabinet loses signal before it reaches the living room.
• Count everything else on the network. Video calls, game downloads and cloud backups share the same connection as your TV.

South London and the old township land

The former Westminster Township land in the south of the city was a rural municipality until 1993. If you live there, don’t assume your connection matches a street in the older part of the city. Ask your provider what technology actually serves your address, then run an evening speed test and compare it with the table above. The free trial lets you check on your own line before you pay.

Getting set up in London

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Test it in the evening, on the TV you actually use, because that’s when home internet is busiest.
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 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, no new wiring, and no change to your internet account.

Frequently asked questions

Does Boom TV work on Rogers internet in London?

Yes. Rogers owns London’s cable network, and Boom TV runs over it the same way it runs over Bell or Start.ca fibre. Nothing on your Rogers account changes.

I’m with a local London provider. Does that matter?

No. Boom TV works over any reliable home internet connection, whether the company is national or local. Only your speed and your home Wi-Fi make a difference.

I’m still on DSL. Can I stream?

Possibly. Run a speed test in the evening. About 10 Mbps per HD stream is the target, and about 25 Mbps for 4K. The free trial shows you how it plays on your line.

Does it work outside the city, in Middlesex County?

Yes, wherever you have a reliable home connection. Internet options in rural parts of the county can differ from the city, so test first.

Is there a free trial?

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