IPTV Saskatoon

Saskatoon is split by the South Saskatchewan River, and its home internet is split two ways as well. SaskTel, the province’s Crown-owned telephone company, has fibre mapped in most of Saskatoon’s zones. The cable network that was built as Shaw has belonged to Rogers since April 2023. Which of those reaches your house, and how your home Wi-Fi is set up, decides how well streaming TV works. Here’s how Saskatoon’s connections break down, and what Boom TV needs to run smoothly on yours.

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Saskatoon’s two main wired networks: SaskTel and Rogers

An independent coverage map built from CRTC network-owner filings shows two main wired networks in Saskatoon:

• SaskTel fibre. SaskTel is owned by the provincial government and has its head office in Regina. In 2011 it announced a fibre-to-the-home program for nine major centres in Saskatchewan, saying it would start connecting homes in Regina and Saskatoon that year. Today its fibre is mapped in most of Saskatoon’s zones.
• Rogers, formerly Shaw. Rogers completed its takeover of Shaw on 3 April 2023. If “Shaw” still appears on your modem or bill, you’re on the same network under new ownership. Rogers says its Saskatoon network runs fibre to the neighbourhood and coaxial cable into the home, and that fibre-to-the-home plans appear at addresses where it becomes available. The same data also lists ex-Shaw fibre in parts of the city.

The data also shows a few smaller fibre companies in some pockets, plus several fixed-wireless networks. It counts network owners only, not resellers, so the company on your bill isn’t always the one that owns the line.

Boom TV works the same on all of them. It’s an app on your TV device, so nothing is installed on the line and nothing changes on your SaskTel or Rogers account. What matters is the speed that actually reaches the room with the TV, especially in the evening.

East side, west side: one city, nine river crossings

The South Saskatchewan River divides Saskatoon into an east side and a west side, and the city has nine river crossings. That’s why it’s known as the City of Bridges.

The city has also grown by taking in its neighbours. Montgomery Place was annexed in 1955, and the town of Sutherland followed in 1956.

What that means for streaming:

• Your street can differ from a friend’s across the river. Ask your provider what technology actually serves your address.
• Check before you blame the app. If streaming behaves like an older connection, ask what your plan is actually running on.

Martensville, Warman and Corman Park

Several places around Saskatoon are separate municipalities, even though they sit inside the Saskatoon census metropolitan area. Martensville (10,549 people in the 2021 census) and Warman (12,419) are cities in their own right. The Rural Municipality of Corman Park surrounds Saskatoon itself.

Boom TV works the same in any of them. What changes is which internet technology reaches your address. If you’re on an acreage or a rural road outside the city, 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, look at the last few metres inside your home first:

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, not 2.4 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is slower and gets crowded in apartments and attached homes.
• Run an Ethernet cable to the main TV if the router is close enough. It’s the most reliable fix there is.
• Keep the router central and off the floor. 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 the TV.

Getting set up in Saskatoon

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Watch in the evening, on the TV you actually use, so you’re testing real conditions.
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 technician visit, no new wiring, and no change to your internet contract.

Frequently asked questions

Does Boom TV work on SaskTel fibre in Saskatoon?

Yes. Boom TV runs over your existing internet connection and doesn’t need anything from SaskTel. Nothing on your SaskTel account changes.

I’m still on a Shaw plan. Does that matter?

No. Rogers completed its takeover of Shaw in April 2023, and the Shaw network is now Rogers’ network. Boom TV works on it the same as on any other connection.

Will it work in Martensville, Warman or Corman Park?

Yes, as long as your connection delivers about 10 Mbps per HD stream or 25 Mbps per 4K stream. Only your local internet options differ from place to place.

What speed do I need for 4K?

About 25 Mbps per 4K stream, and about 10 Mbps per HD stream. Add the streams together if more than one screen is watching at once.

Do I need new equipment?

Usually not. Boom TV is an app for devices most people already own: streaming sticks, TV boxes, smart TVs, phones, tablets and computers.

Is there a free trial?

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