IPTV Surrey

If you set up cable internet in Surrey a few years ago, the company on your bill has likely changed since. The cable network that ran through Surrey as Shaw has been owned by Rogers since April 2023, and Telus runs the largest fibre network. Surrey is also growing much faster than the region as a whole, so what’s wired into your building can vary. Here’s how that affects streaming live TV, and how to test it on your own connection with the free 24-hour trial.

Surrey’s two networks: Rogers (formerly Shaw) and Telus

Most wired home internet in Surrey runs over one of two main networks:

• The cable network, formerly Shaw, now Rogers. Rogers completed its purchase of Shaw on 3 April 2023. Rogers says its own name will gradually replace Shaw’s, and it also has fibre-to-the-home in parts of Surrey. If your bill, modem or app still says Shaw, it’s the same network under the same owner.
• Telus, which runs fibre-to-the-home across much of the city and DSL over copper where fibre hasn’t reached yet. Telus’s own Surrey page notes that its fibre is not available in all areas.

A few smaller fibre companies also serve some buildings. Resellers sell plans over the big networks under their own names.

For streaming, either main network is more than enough. Both cable and fibre plans go beyond a gigabit. Boom TV runs over whichever one you have, with nothing installed on the line and no change to your Rogers or Telus account.

Six communities, and why your street may differ from your friend’s

Surrey isn’t laid out like a single downtown with suburbs around it. The city describes itself as six communities: Whalley/City Centre, Guildford, Fleetwood, Newton, Cloverdale and South Surrey. The city calls Newton its most populous town centre.

Surrey is also growing fast. At the 2021 Census, Surrey had 568,322 people, up 9.7% in five years. That’s about double Vancouver’s growth rate, and roughly 28% of all of Metro Vancouver’s new residents in that period. By the city’s own estimate, Surrey is now well past 700,000.

In practice:

• New towers in City Centre and new subdivisions are more likely to have fibre, sometimes from a building-level provider rather than one of the big two.
• Established areas in Newton, Guildford, Cloverdale or South Surrey can be on fibre, cable or DSL depending on the block.
• A friend’s experience isn’t yours. Fibre coverage can change block to block, so check what your own address has.

None of that changes how Boom TV works. It only changes how much headroom you have, and the numbers below tell you whether that’s enough.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

Most cable and fibre plans clear these comfortably. The one to test is Telus DSL. If that’s what reaches your address and you plan on 4K or several screens at once, run a speed test in the evening first.

Fixing buffering in a Surrey condo or a big family house

Two kinds of homes tend to have Wi-Fi trouble, and the fixes are similar:

• High-rise condos: dozens of neighbours’ routers within range turn the 2.4 GHz band into a traffic jam. Switch the TV to 5 GHz.
• Larger multi-level houses: a router in a basement or front room may barely reach a TV two floors away. Run Ethernet to the main TV, or use a mesh system so the signal reaches every floor.
• Many screens at once: if several people stream every evening, add up the per-screen numbers above and compare them to your plan’s real evening speed, not the advertised one.
• Test when you actually watch. A weeknight evening is the real test, not a quiet afternoon.

Getting started in Surrey

No installer and no change to your Rogers or Telus service.

1. Start the free 24-hour trial and use it on your own connection during the evening.
2. Install the app on the device you’ll actually watch on, and connect it over 5 GHz or Ethernet.
3. Watch something live for a full evening. If it plays cleanly, choose a plan on the plans page. If it doesn’t, try the Wi-Fi fixes above before anything else.

Frequently asked questions

My bill still says Shaw. Does Boom TV work on it? Yes. Shaw’s cable network has belonged to Rogers since April 2023. Boom TV runs over it the same as over Telus. Nothing is installed on your line.

Does Boom TV work on Telus fibre? Yes. Fibre gives you more headroom than live TV needs, even for several screens at once. Boom TV doesn’t change anything on your Telus account.

I’m in South Surrey (or Cloverdale, or Fleetwood). Is anything different? Only the technology at your address, which varies block to block across all six communities. If your connection gives you roughly 10 Mbps per HD screen or 25 Mbps per 4K screen, your neighbourhood makes no difference.

I’m in a new condo tower and my building has its own internet provider. Will it work? Yes, if the connection meets the speeds above. Some Surrey buildings are served by smaller fibre companies. Boom TV runs over that the same way, since it only needs a working internet connection.

Can I try it first? Yes. The 24-hour trial is free, so you can test it in your own home before choosing a plan on the plans page.