IPTV Quebec City

Quebec City’s internet map is not a copy of Montreal’s. Vidéotron owns most of the cable network and Bell runs fibre and DSL, but in the Lac-Saint-Charles sector a local cable co-operative also offers internet. Two former suburbs also left the merged city in 2006 and are still part of its agglomeration. Here is how home internet breaks down across the city, what Boom TV needs to run well on it, and how to test your own line before you pay anything.

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Two main networks, plus a few local ones

Network-owner data filed with the CRTC, compiled by a third party into a map of the city, shows this pattern for wired internet in Québec:

• Vidéotron owns the main cable (coaxial) network. It is mapped in about nine in ten of the city’s zones.
• Bell runs fibre-to-the-home and DSL. Both are mapped across all of the city’s zones.
• Smaller networks show up in parts of the city. Telus fibre appears in about a fifth of the zones, and Cogeco and a second local co-operative each have cable in a small slice.

Those figures describe where each network is mapped, not how many homes use it. They also leave out resellers, so the name on your bill may not belong to the company that owns the wire.

For streaming, any of these can work. Boom TV is an app on your TV device. Nothing is installed on the line, and nothing changes on your account with your internet provider. What matters is the speed that actually reaches your TV in the evening.

A local cable co-op in Lac-Saint-Charles

The less familiar name on Quebec City’s map is CCAP, the Coopérative de câblodistribution de l’arrière-pays. It describes itself as a telecommunications co-operative, it offers internet, and its office is on boulevard Henri-Bourassa in Québec.

CCAP lists Lac-Saint-Charles among the sectors it serves, alongside neighbouring communities such as Lac-Beauport, Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury and Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval. Lac-Saint-Charles was a separate town until 2002 and is now part of the La Haute-Saint-Charles borough. In the network-owner data, CCAP’s cable is mapped in a little over a quarter of the city’s zones.

So if you live in that part of the city, don’t assume your cable comes from Vidéotron. It may come from the co-op. Boom TV works the same on either, because it only needs a working internet connection.

One city, six boroughs, and two neighbours that left

Quebec City’s borders have changed twice this century. On 1 January 2002, twelve former towns were merged into the city, among them Sainte-Foy, Sillery, Cap-Rouge, Beauport, Charlesbourg, Loretteville, Val-Bélair and Vanier. After a demerger referendum, L’Ancienne-Lorette and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures became separate municipalities again on 1 January 2006. Those three cities now make up the urban agglomeration of Quebec City.

Inside the city there are six boroughs: La Cité-Limoilou, Les Rivières, Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge, Charlesbourg, Beauport and La Haute-Saint-Charles. The 2021 census counted 549,459 residents.

Those boundaries are about city halls and taxes, not wiring. In L’Ancienne-Lorette, for example, the network-owner data shows the same main pattern as the city: Vidéotron cable, Bell fibre and Bell DSL, with Telus fibre in part of the town. The difference that matters for streaming is between buildings, not boroughs. Check what technology serves your address, not what your neighbourhood is said to have.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

The network data lists cable at up to 1.5 Gbps and fibre at up to 8 Gbps, far above these figures. DSL is the one to check. DSL here is listed at anywhere from 5 to 100 Mbps depending on the line, so run a speed test in the evening before you rely on it for 4K or for several screens at once.

When it buffers, look inside the house first

If a fast connection still stutters, the problem is often between the router and the TV:

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, not 2.4 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is slower and gets crowded in apartment buildings and attached homes.
• Run an Ethernet cable to the main TV if the router is close enough. A wired connection takes Wi-Fi out of the picture.
• Move the router out of the basement or cabinet. Floors and furniture between the router and the TV cost signal.
• Test at the time you actually watch. A weeknight evening tells you far more than a quiet afternoon.

Getting set up in Quebec City

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Run it in the evening, 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.

There’s no technician visit, nothing installed on the line, and no change to your internet account.

Frequently asked questions

Does Boom TV work on Vidéotron internet in Quebec City?

Yes. Vidéotron owns most of the city’s cable network, and Boom TV runs over it the same way it runs over Bell fibre or DSL. Nothing on your Vidéotron account changes.

My internet comes from the local co-op. Will it work?

Yes. CCAP serves Lac-Saint-Charles and several nearby communities. Boom TV only needs a steady internet connection, so the company that owns the line makes no difference. Check your evening speed against the table above.

I live in L’Ancienne-Lorette or Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures. Is anything different?

No. They are separate cities, but Boom TV works the same anywhere you have a reliable home connection. In L’Ancienne-Lorette, the network-owner data shows the same Vidéotron cable and Bell fibre and DSL as the city.

What speed do I need for 4K?

About 25 Mbps per 4K stream and about 10 Mbps per HD stream. Add them together for each screen watching at the same time.

Can I try it before paying?

Yes. The trial is free and lasts 24 hours. Start the trial or see the plans.