IPTV Saanich

Saanich has more people than the City of Victoria. The 2021 census counted 117,735 in Saanich and 91,867 in Victoria, which makes Saanich the most populous of the Capital Region’s 13 municipalities. It is also a mix of suburbs and countryside, which is worth knowing when you compare internet options. Here’s how Saanich is wired, and what Boom TV needs to run well on your connection.

Start your free 24-hour trial

A district split between suburbs and farmland

Saanich was incorporated as a district municipality in 1906, and it is the largest municipality in Greater Victoria by area. Its neighbourhoods include Gordon Head, Cadboro Bay, Cordova Bay, Tillicum, Broadmead and Royal Oak. The northeastern half of the University of Victoria campus is in Saanich; the rest is in Oak Bay.

Since the late 1960s, Saanich has drawn an Urban Containment Boundary to limit residential growth and sprawl, and the District says that boundary protects about 52% of Saanich. Saanich also has 1,844 hectares in the Agricultural Land Reserve, and Rural Saanich is sparsely populated and mostly rural. If you live on a rural property, your options may not match a house in Gordon Head, so check your own address.

Who owns the wires in Saanich

An independent coverage map built from CRTC network-owner filings (the CRTC is Canada’s telecom regulator) splits Saanich into 12 zones.

• Rogers, formerly Shaw. Rogers completed its purchase of Shaw on 3 April 2023. If you still see the Shaw name, it’s the same cable network, now owned by Rogers. That coverage map lists Rogers’ cable network in all 12 zones. Rogers’ Saanich page describes fibre to the neighbourhood with coaxial cable into the home. The coverage map lists the former Shaw network as a fibre-to-the-home owner in only one of the 12 zones.
• Telus. That coverage map lists Telus fibre-to-the-home in all 12 zones, and Telus DSL in 11.

No smaller fibre owners are listed in Saanich. These are shares of mapped zones, not homes, so check your own address with each provider.

Boom TV runs over any of them. It’s an app on your TV device, so nothing is installed on the line and nothing changes on your internet account.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

That coverage map lists cable at up to 1.5 Gbps and fibre at up to 8 Gbps in Saanich. DSL is listed at 5 to 100 Mbps, a wide range. If your address is on DSL, run a speed test in the evening, in the room with the TV, before counting on 4K or several screens at once.

When a fast plan still buffers

The cause can be between the router and the TV:

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, not 2.4 GHz. It’s faster and less crowded.
• Run Ethernet to the main TV if you can. A wired connection takes Wi-Fi out of the picture.
• Move the router up and into the open. Basements, cabinets and the back of the TV all cost signal.
• Consider a mesh system in a larger house, so the signal reaches every floor.
• Count everyone else on the network. Video calls, downloads and backups share the same connection as your TV.

Getting set up in Saanich

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Watch 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.

No installer, no new wiring, and nothing to return.

Frequently asked questions

Is Saanich part of Victoria?

It’s part of Greater Victoria, but it is its own municipality, one of 13 in the Capital Region. It had more people than the City of Victoria in the 2021 census.

Does Boom TV work on Rogers internet in Saanich?

Yes. Rogers has owned the former Shaw network since April 2023, and Boom TV runs over it the same way it runs over Telus fibre or DSL. Boom TV doesn’t change anything on your internet account.

Is Telus fibre available at my address?

The coverage map lists Telus fibre in every Saanich zone, but a zone isn’t a street. Check your own address with Telus. Boom TV runs on fibre, cable or DSL, as long as the speed is there.

I live in rural Saanich. Will it work?

Yes, if your connection meets the speeds above. Test it on your own line with the free trial.

Is there a free trial?

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