Low Income Internet Options: Canada

Practically everyone uses the internet everyday. Whether for work or leisure, the internet has become a key feature of everyday life. And while the internet doesn't always come cheap, there are options out there for you to avail yourself of.



It is hard to imagine life without the internet, but for some households, internet access is too expensive. Having internet access is especially important now, since the Coronavirus has resulted in so many schools and businesses shutting down. Many students and employees need an internet connection for their day to day business. There are multiple big-name internet service providers (ISPs) in Canada, including Telus, Bell, Eastlink, Shaw, SaskTel, and Videotron. Many of the larger ISPs may feature special discounted deals for lower income applicants. There are also several small ISPs which you may not know about that offer affordable internet plans. Detailed below are some of the best low-income internet options available in 2022.

The Connecting Families Initiative: The Government of Canada announced, on April 4th, 2022, that $20 a month high-speed internet will be available through the Connecting Families initiative. The Government is partnering with 14 Internet service providers across Canada to provide internet service at an affordable price for those families and individuals who qualify.

Telus:

Pricing: $75/Month for their Fast plan (If purchased for 24 months), which offers PureFibre internet, with 75Mbps Upload and download. Telus offers additional plans with vastly improved upload and download speeds for only a fraction more cost.

Telus is one of the larger ISPs for Western Canada. They offer coverage for the western provinces, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Telus makes use of great infrastructure for their wired internet and offers excellent speeds. Telus also offers Telus Smart Hub, wireless internet for rural areas. With speeds up to 25, 50, or even 100 Mbps, Smart Hub gets you the internet you need through The Telus LTE and 5G network. Telus has several packages you can choose from, including a Fast PureFibre Internet plan for only $75 a month with a 2 year plan. This package offers 75 Mbps download speed and upload speed, which is more than enough for average internet usage. If you have multiple users constantly using the internet, you can get an upgrade to 940 Mbps, with this package costing $89 a month with a two year plan. The PureFibre Gigibit Internet is Telus's most popular internet plan.

While you do need to lock into a two year contract to qualify for the discounted internet rates through Telus, you can rest assured that you are getting your money's worth. Telus does not have any overcharge fees, so you can use all of the data you pay for.

Telus is one of the most expensive internet service providers in Canada, but they are not the only option for those in Western Canada. A great alternative is Shaw. Shaw offers a $50 savings when signing up online, waiving the activation fee. Their basic internet package, Fibre+ 10 offers 10MBps download speeds, 150 GB data usage, and only costs $50 a month!

SaskTel:

Pricing: New customers can get Internet at 20 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload and unlimited usage for $32.47/Month for there first three months.

Another alternative to Telus in Western Canada, SaskTel offers internet at great prices. Their new customer deals can get you internet for as little as $32.47 a month for the first three months. If you are willing to lock in a contract you can get 24 months of 150 Mbps download and 75 Mbps upload for $64.95 a month. This is a better deal than Telus, lower cost for more internet. SaskTel doesn't have quite the coverage range that Telus does (SaskTel on serves Saskatchewan residents), but they make up for it with free usage of over 2,000 Wi-Fi hotspots for their customers throughout the province.

Bell Communications:

Pricing: Plans start as low as $49.95 a month for 10 Mbps download speeds. Data usage is limited in lower priced plans.

Bell Communications is the largest provider of internet services for Central Canada (Ontario and Québec). They offer a variety of different plans and bundle options for phone and internet services. Their most affordable plan, Fibe Internet (meant for light internet usage) starts at $49.95 a month, and offers 10 Mbps download speed and .93 Mbps upload speeds. While not the best internet around, it is one of the most affordable plans available. The next plan available is the Fibe 50 plan, offering 50 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload and unlimited data usage, as well as home wi-fi. All of this comes at $84.95 a month. All of Bell Communications plans come with an online exclusive offer of a $100 pre-paid visa card and no installation fee.

Videotron:

Pricing: 30 Mbps speeds, low price at $50 per month for 24 months, with unlimited data usage.

Videotron is a great alternative to Bell Communications if you live in Central Canada. Videotron is not as large as Bell Communications, but offers competitive services and competitive prices.  The starting plan offerd by Videotron is their Internet 30 plan, which provides download speeds up to 30 Mbps for $50 a month for 24 months. This plan also comes with unlimited data usage. The plan also offers up to 10 Mbps upload speed and secure wi-fi technology. Videotron boasts that they offer the "Best Wi-Fi technology in Québec".  Videotron has additional plans

Videotron's additional plans start at $65 and $75 a month (for 24 months) respectively. The Internet 100 plan offers download speeds of 100 Mbps and unlimited data, and the Internet 400 plan offers download speeds up to 400 Mbps and unlimited data usage.

Eastlink:

Pricing: Fibre Link Internet 350 starts at $79.95 a month (for the first 12 months).

Eastlink offers a few internet plans and serves the Atlantic Canada provinces. Their main plan, Fibre Link Internet 350 offers 350 Mbps download, with 10 Mbps upload, unlimited data, and whole home wi-fi. Eastlink also offers the Fibre Link Internet 1 Gb plan for $99.95 a month (for the first 12 months). This plan comes with 940 Mbps download, and 15 Mbps upload, as well as unlimited data and whole home wi-fi.

Teksavvy: