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public:network-tech-guide:choosing_an_internet_service_provider_in_bc [2020/11/06 13:32] scott.leslie created |
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====== Choosing An Internet Service Provider In BC ====== | ====== Choosing An Internet Service Provider In BC ====== | ||
- | There are two main telecommunications companies with Province- wide networks that can provide connections to the Internet. Telus is based in Vancouver and Shaw is based in Calgary. | + | There are two main telecommunications companies with Province-wide networks |
- | There are over 80 companies that deliver regional systems to connect to the Internet | + | There are over 80 companies that deliver regional systems to connect to the internet |
- | The Canadian Government | + | The Canadian Government |
- | Some municipalities and village councils have also assumed | + | Some municipalities and village councils have assumed |
- | In rural areas, many communications dealers represent Telus, either as independent dealers or as agents. The roots of this arrangement lie in the history of the introduction of cellular phone services across the Province | + | In rural areas, many communications dealers represent Telus, either as independent dealers or as agents. The roots of this arrangement lie in the history of the introduction of cellular phone services across the Province. Local regional dealers |
- | Shaw’s background is in delivering a coaxial cable- based TV system to all areas of the Province | + | Shaw’s background is in delivering a coaxial cable-based TV system to all areas of the Province |
- | While Shaw has added services to TV, Telus has been transitioning from DSL (Digital Subscriber Line, a telephony | + | While Shaw has added services to TV, Telus has been transitioning from DSL (Digital Subscriber Line, a legacy |
===== Voice Communications Choices In BC ===== | ===== Voice Communications Choices In BC ===== | ||
- | The telephone must work well and reliably at all times as it is the main access to Emergency Services covering | + | The telephone must work well and reliably at all times as it is the main access to Emergency Services covering |
- | This is another area of connectivity change driven by the adoption of Internet technology. | + | This is another area of connectivity change driven by the adoption of Internet technology. |
- | VOIP systems are most often sold as a low- cost monthly subscription service with long distance calls that are much cheaper than on traditional landlines. | + | VOIP systems are most often sold as a low-cost monthly subscription service with long distance calls that are much cheaper than on traditional landlines. The cost saving in telephone service that VOIP offers represents a budget opportunity to investigate improvement of the Internet Service speeds for the branch location. |
- | If your Internet connection is low in capacity, variable in quality or just unreliable, | + | If your Internet connection is low in capacity, variable in quality or just unreliable, |
- | Another area to look at is the age of your LAN infrastructure, | + | Another area to look at is the age of your LAN (Local Area Network) |
+ | |||
+ | If you need to order a real landline phone from Telus, be aware that this is not a service they encourage. You may experience some reluctance from Telus to comply. Telus is in the process of decommissioning the technology platforms and regional offices that deliver landline telephone services in favour of Internet based VOIP phone service servers located in central data centres rather than through distributed (local) offices. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Basic Network Speed ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The current Canadian government target for adequate Internet speed to all residential and organization addresses in Canada is a combined download and upload measurement of 50 Megabits per second/ 10 Megabit per second. This target is found at | ||
+ | https:// | ||
+ | and is higher than the US government' | ||
+ | |||
+ | These numbers are known as bandwidth measurements and are typically the way internet service contracts are sold to consumers and businesses by Internet Service Providers (ISP' | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, the performance measurement as stated is incomplete on its own. A 3rd measurement - latency - is required for any real accuracy in defining internet quality. Latency is the measurement of the delay in internet traffic for any data packet transmission. Typically measured in milliseconds, | ||
+ | |||
+ | For general browsing and streaming, any latency measure under 100ms is fine; however, less than 30ms is ideal for high quality service for all purposes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Note that using WIFI will typically reduce both bandwidth and increase latency for a specific device because the radio service that WIFI uses is both more complicated and slower than most modern networks on cables. The fastest way to use and test internet services on your network is always on a computer that is connected by an ethernet cable. Similarly, these test sites typically use an internet browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge to deliver the application to the end client conducting the testing. Not all browsers run quickly on all computers and may result in considerable delays being recorded and displayed. This could result in an inaccurate understanding of the actual internet service being reached. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Speed Testing ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | There are lots of free choices now to test the speed of your internet connection. In Canada, the CIRA provides a non-commercial option that accurately reflects the performance of internet service regardless of your location or Internet Service Provider (ISP). | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * Speedtest.net - OOKLA (USA) most used test site | ||
+ | * Fast.com - Test created and run by Netflix, easy to use | ||
+ | |||
+ | Note that use of any of these free testing services may result in the test results being sold as data to interested commercial organizations. The CIRA data collection is used in part by Canadian governments to create an overall picture of how well Canada is progressing in bridging the digital divide. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Other External Network Services ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | If fast fibre internet is not being offered for you to access, you may have choices with more regional service companies based on other technologies that will provide adequate levels of reliability and capacity to support branch locations. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Future Internet Service Possibilities ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rapid advances in space and radio technologies have resulted in a USA company, Starlink, recently being given a permit to deliver satellite- based internet data service that covers the entire Canadian geographic area. Early tests indicate this will deliver 100Megabit per second download speeds, 40Mb Uploads with latency in the acceptable range over under 30 milliseconds. The service may start beta trials in early 2021. The current area covered by the 800 satellites deployed so far only cover up to 52.8 degrees North Latitude, so most of the north of BC will need Starlink to launch more satellites into their ' | ||
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- | If you need to order a real landline phone from Telus, be aware that this is not a service they encourage. You may experience some reluctance to comply. Telus is in the process of decommissioning the technology platforms and regional offices that deliver landline telephone services in favour of Internet based VOIP phone service servers located in central data centres rather than distributed (local) offices. | ||