IPTV Waterloo

Waterloo packs a lot onto its home internet. It had 121,436 people in the 2021 census, up 15.7% in five years, plus two major universities. On the network-owner map, Rogers cable reaches every zone of the city and Bell fibre reaches most of them, so in a shared home, the question is how many streams run at once. Here’s how Waterloo is wired, what Boom TV needs per screen, and how to test it in your own place first.

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Its own city since 1948

Waterloo was incorporated as a village in 1857, a town in 1876 and a city in 1948. It’s one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Because it runs right up against Kitchener, people often say “K-W” as if it were one place, but attempts to merge the two have failed and Waterloo keeps its own council.

The ION light rail line ties the two together, with 19 stations connecting uptown Waterloo and downtown Kitchener.

Every zone has Rogers cable

An independent coverage map built from CRTC network-owner filings (the CRTC is Canada’s telecom regulator) splits Waterloo into 8 zones. It’s a compact map, and the main networks are mapped in nearly every zone:

• Rogers is the only coaxial cable owner listed, mapped in all 8 zones.
• Bell fibre-to-the-home is mapped in 7 of the 8 zones, and Bell’s DSL in all of them.
• Rogers fibre is mapped in 5 of the 8.
• Smaller fibre owners appear too: NFTC in 2 zones and CIK Telecom in 1.

Several fixed-wireless networks are also mapped across the city, including Waterloo Wireless.

These are zones, not homes. A building or street can still differ from the map, so check your own address. The map counts network owners only, so a reseller may sell you service over Rogers or Bell lines under its own name.

Two universities, a lot of shared connections

Waterloo is home to the University of Waterloo, which had 37,884 students in 2022, and Wilfrid Laurier University, which had about 20,000 across its campuses. If you’re sharing a house or an apartment, your internet plan is shared too, and every stream counts.

Do the arithmetic before you blame the service. Three housemates each watching in HD need about 30 Mbps between them. Add a 4K TV in the living room and you’re at about 55 Mbps, before anyone starts a video call or a game download.

Boom TV is an app, so there’s nothing to install on the line and nothing to change on whoever holds the internet account.

How much speed you actually need

Boom TV’s recommended speeds, per stream:

That coverage map lists Waterloo’s cable at up to 1.5 Gbps and its fibre at up to 8 Gbps. Bell DSL is listed at 5 to 100 Mbps. On DSL with several people at home, test in the evening before you count on 4K.

Getting a smooth picture in a shared place

• Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi on the TV or stick. The 2.4 GHz band is slower and gets crowded where many networks overlap.
• Wire the main TV to the router with Ethernet if it’s in the same room.
• Put the router somewhere central, not in one person’s bedroom at the end of the hall.
• Agree on big downloads. Game updates and cloud backups can wait until after the evening’s viewing.
• Restart the streaming stick every so often.

Getting set up in Waterloo

1. Start the free 24-hour trial. Test it in the evening, when everyone in the house is online.
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.

Frequently asked questions

Does Boom TV work on Rogers internet in Waterloo?

Yes. Rogers owns the cable network across Waterloo, and Boom TV runs over Rogers cable or fibre the same way it runs over Bell. Boom TV doesn’t change anything on your internet account.

Does it work on Bell fibre?

Yes. Bell fibre is mapped in most of Waterloo’s zones, and Boom TV runs over it like any other home connection.

I share internet with housemates. How much speed do we need?

Add each stream together: about 10 Mbps per HD stream and 25 Mbps per 4K stream, all running at the same time.

Can I watch on my laptop or phone?

Yes. Boom TV works on phones, tablets and computers as well as smart TVs, streaming sticks and TV boxes.

Is there a free trial?

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