IPTV Vancouver

Vancouver packs more people into each square kilometre than any other municipality in Canada. The City’s review of the 2021 census counted 662,248 residents at 5,750 people per square kilometre. That density shows up in how the city gets online. Two large networks cover Vancouver, and a crowd of smaller fibre companies wire individual buildings. If you live in an apartment or condo, the wiring inside your building can matter as much as the company on your bill. Here is how Vancouver’s connections break down, and what Boom TV needs to run well on yours.

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Vancouver’s two big networks: Rogers and Telus

For home internet over a wire, two networks reach across the city.

• Rogers, formerly Shaw. Rogers completed its purchase of Shaw on 3 April 2023, and says its own brand will become more prevalent over time. If a bill, modem or app still says Shaw, it’s the same network under new ownership. Rogers’ Vancouver page describes fibre to the neighbourhood with coaxial cable into the home, and says fibre-to-the-home plans appear at addresses once they become available. An independent coverage map built from CRTC network-owner filings also lists the former Shaw network as a fibre-to-the-home owner in 11 of the 14 zones it maps in Vancouver. So ask Rogers which technology actually serves your address.
• Telus. The same filings list Telus fibre-to-the-home and Telus DSL in all 14 mapped zones. Telus’s own Vancouver page notes that its fibre is not available in all areas, and that it offers DSL where fibre hasn’t reached.

Resellers also sell plans over these networks, so the name on your bill may not own the line to your home. For streaming, that difference doesn’t matter. What matters is the speed that reaches the room where your TV is.

Eight fibre owners in one city

Vancouver’s fibre map is unusually busy. That coverage map lists eight companies as fibre-to-the-home network owners in the city. Besides Telus and the former Shaw network, they include:

• Novus, a Vancouver-based company founded in 1996, which runs fibre into apartment and condo buildings across Metro Vancouver. It is listed in 8 of the 14 mapped zones.
• FibreStream, listed in 5 of the 14 zones.
• Four smaller owners, each listed in one or two zones.

In practice, your condo building may have its own fibre provider, chosen when the building was wired. If so, you may have more choices than the two big names, or a different one. Boom TV doesn’t mind which. It is an app on your TV device, so nothing is installed on the line and nothing changes on your internet account, whoever provides it.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

Compare those numbers with an evening speed test, taken in the room with the TV, rather than the speed on your plan. If your address is on DSL rather than cable or fibre, test before you count on 4K or several screens at once.

In a tower, the problem is usually the last few metres

In a dense city, the slowest part of the connection is often inside your own home:

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, not 2.4 GHz. In an apartment, dozens of neighbouring routers can be within range, and the 2.4 GHz band gets crowded in the evening.
• Plug the main TV in with Ethernet if the router is close enough. It’s the most reliable fix there is.
• Keep the router in the open. A router inside a cabinet, behind the TV or in a storage nook loses signal before it reaches the couch.
• Count everyone else on the network. Video calls, game downloads and cloud backups share the same connection as your TV.
• Restart the streaming device now and then. Small sticks with limited memory run better after a fresh start.

If your building has its own fibre provider and streaming still stutters, check your Wi-Fi first. Then ask the provider what speed your suite actually gets.

Getting set up in Vancouver

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Watch in the evening, on the TV you actually use, because that’s when home internet is busiest.
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

My bill still says Shaw. Does Boom TV work on it?

Yes. Shaw’s network has belonged to Rogers since April 2023. Boom TV runs over it the same way it runs over Telus or any other connection, and nothing on your account changes.

Does Boom TV work on Telus fibre in Vancouver?

Yes. Boom TV runs over your existing internet connection and needs nothing from Telus. Fibre gives plenty of room for live TV, including on several screens.

My condo has its own internet provider. Will it work?

Yes. Several smaller companies run fibre in Vancouver buildings. Boom TV only needs a working internet connection that meets the speeds above, whoever provides it.

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.

Do I need new equipment?

Usually not. Boom TV is an app for 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.