Bell and Telus Fibre Internet Speeds Dominate Other Providers Combined, Says Ookla

A recent study from Ookla Speedtest comparing fibre-optic broadband internet or fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services in Canada to other fixed broadband options during Q4 2021 found fibre offerings from Bell and TELUS to be up to 12x faster at the provincial level and up to 11x faster in major Canadian cities.

According to the results, fibre-optic broadband services from Bell and TELUS offer consistently and markedly higher median download speeds in the areas they serve when compared to other fixed broadband options, and they absolutely smoke all other fixed connections when it comes to median upload speeds.

Image: Ookla

For median download speeds on the provincial level, Bell Fibre was faster than the market average of all other internet providers combined in New Brunswick (1.8x), Newfoundland (1.8x), Nova Scotia (1.9x), Ontario (2.4x), Prince Edward Island (3.1x), and Québec (3.3x).

The fibre-optic broadband offering from TELUS, PCMag‘s fastest Canadian ISP for 2021, was faster than other fixed broadband in Alberta (1.9x) and British Columbia (1.4x). PCMag called Bell the best gaming ISP in Canada for 2022 back in December.

Median upload speeds hand non-fibre broadband providers an even bigger loss, with Bell Fibre beating them out in New Brunswick (7.4x), Newfoundland (10.9x), Nova Scotia (11.5x), Ontario (10.8x), Prince Edward Island (12.4x), and Québec (8.5x), and TELUS Fibre taking the crown in Alberta (7.5x) and British Columbia (5.3x).

Image: Ookla

Major Canadian cities sing similar songs. The median download speed on Bell Fibre was faster than other fixed broadband providers in Halifax (1.5x), London (1.8x), Montréal (3.2x), Québec City (3.2x), St. John’s (1.0x), and Toronto (2.3x). TELUS Fibre was faster in Calgary (1.2x), Edmonton (1.3x), and Vancouver (1.7x).

As for median upload speeds in major cities, Bell Fibre led the charge in Halifax (11.4x), London (8.6x), Montréal (9.4x), Québec City (7.3x), and Toronto (11.0x), while TELUS Fibre reigned supreme in Calgary (5.1x), Edmonton (5.6x), and Vancouver (6.6x).

Fibre-optic broadband is remarkably faster than other fixed internet connections, especially for uploads. However, availability across Canada is expanding yet still limited, and laying down the infrastructure for fibre-optic connections can be costly — an investment that service providers recoup from their customers through expensive subscription fees.

In June of last year, TELUS launched what the company says is the fastest consumer internet connection in Canada — PureFibre X.

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