IPTV Shawinigan

Shawinigan isn’t one town so much as seven. Since 2002, the city on the Saint-Maurice River has included Grand-Mère, Shawinigan-Sud, Lac-à-la-Tortue and several smaller communities, across about 730 square kilometres. That spread shows up in its internet. Cogeco and Bell are the main fibre owners, but no wired network is mapped in every zone. Here’s who owns the lines, what streaming live TV needs, and how to test Boom TV on your own connection before you pay.

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Seven municipalities, one city since 2002

Shawinigan is in the Mauricie area, on the Saint-Maurice River, and was known as Shawinigan Falls until 1958. In 1998 it merged with the village of Baie-de-Shawinigan. Then, on 1 January 2002, it amalgamated with six more municipalities:

• Grand-Mère
• Shawinigan-Sud
• Saint-Georges-de-Champlain
• Lac-à-la-Tortue
• Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides
• Saint-Jean-des-Piles

The 2021 census counted 49,620 people over 729.98 square kilometres of land, or about 68 people per square kilometre. That’s a lot of territory for one city, and it’s why addresses a few kilometres apart can be on very different technology.

Cogeco and Bell, side by side

An independent coverage map built from CRTC network-owner filings (the CRTC is Canada’s telecom regulator) splits Shawinigan into 42 zones. It shows:

• Cogeco fibre in half of the zones, and Cogeco cable (coaxial) in about 40%. Cogeco is the only cable owner on the map.
• Bell fibre in half of the zones, and Bell DSL in about 52%.
• Cooptel fibre in about one zone in six. Cooptel is a telecommunications co-op that began in 1944 in the Valcourt area and started offering fibre to homes in 2010.
• Telus fibre in a few zones.

Vidéotron isn’t listed as a cable or fibre owner here. It appears only for mobile service.

Here’s the part that matters: fibre from any owner is mapped in about 71% of zones, cable in about 40% and DSL in about 55%. Satellite is mapped in every zone, and fixed wireless in about 60%. Check carefully what reaches your address.

These are shares of mapped zones, not homes, and resellers aren’t shown.

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, far above these figures. The others need testing:

• DSL is listed at 5 to 100 Mbps.
• Fixed wireless is listed at 25 to 250 Mbps.
• Satellite is listed at 25 to 220 Mbps.

On any of those, run a speed test in the evening, on the device in the TV room, before you count on 4K or two screens.

When it buffers, look inside the house first

If a fast connection still stutters, the cause 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 more crowded.
• Run an Ethernet cable to the main TV if you can. A wired connection takes Wi-Fi out of the picture.
• Move the router out of the basement or add a mesh point for TVs upstairs.
• Count everything else on the network. Video calls, game downloads and backups share the same connection as your TV.

Getting set up in Shawinigan

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Test it in the evening, on the TV you actually use.
2. Install the app on your streaming stick, TV box, smart TV, phone, tablet or computer, and sign in with the details sent by email.
3. Connect over 5 GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet and watch 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 Cogeco internet in Shawinigan?

Yes. Cogeco is the only cable owner on the network-owner map for Shawinigan, and Boom TV runs over Cogeco cable or fibre the same way it runs over Bell or Cooptel. Boom TV doesn’t change anything on your internet account.

I live in Grand-Mère or Shawinigan-Sud. Is anything different?

They’ve been part of Shawinigan since 2002. Boom TV works the same anywhere in the city. What changes is the technology wired to your street, so test on your own connection.

Does it work on satellite internet?

Satellite is mapped across Shawinigan at 25 to 220 Mbps, but evening performance varies. Run the free trial 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 each screen in use 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.