How to Choose an Internet Provider

Some plans have unlimited data, but others have caps that could start costing you extra money if you go over them.

Some home Internet providers offer unlimited data, while others cap their customers' usage at a certain number of gigabytes per month (GB/month).

As you can imagine, heavy Internet users will require unlimited data, where light Internet users might be comfortable with a limited data plan.

All Xplore (formerly Xplornet)'s fixed wireless and fibre plans offer truly unlimited data with no data caps. Our satellite plans offer various data options, including an unlimited option for those who need it. Visit our Internet Packages page to see what options are available where you live. Our agents are also available to chat live to discuss what data option might work best for you.

To figure out what kind of speeds you'll need, consider how you use the Internet. Do you use it to send emails and check Facebook? Or do you stream movies and play online games?

The more people using the Internet at once, the faster your connection needs to be. If everyone in your household is on the web at once (say, streaming Netflix), then a slower connection may cause buffering issues for some users—especially if one person has a really slow device like an older smartphone or tablet that takes longer to load pages than others.

The speed of your Internet connection is measured in megabits per second or Mbps. Generally, the higher the Mbps number, the faster your connection will be. If you need to connect more than one device at once—say, two or three people streaming Netflix—then look for packages with speeds above 20 Mbps. If you're just one user using it for email and social media, then 10 Mbps should suffice.

The bottom line is that you’ll need a high-speed Internet connection, but it all depends on what you want to do with it.

Xplore offers various packages with speeds ranging from 10 to 100 Mbps. Visit our Internet Packages page to find out what speeds are available in your area. Our agents will also be happy to help you right-size your Internet plan according to your needs.

Another thing to consider when choosing an Internet provider is the type of technology they are offering. Fibre, fixed wireless, satellite and DSL are all different ways to connect to the Internet in rural Canada.

Fibre can be up to 100 times faster than DSL, which is the oldest of these technologies. Xplore has fibre available in Ontario, Quebec, PEI, Nova Scotia, Alberta and Manitoba. Click here to find out if fibre is available where you live.

Fixed wireless broadband uses radio waves instead of wires or cables. It provides great coverage in rural areas where it's not always practical to run fibre optic cable. Xplore is continuously expanding our 5G fixed wireless coverage with speeds up to 100 Mbps.

In the more remote areas, satellite is the best option available and, in addition to its current satellite offering, Xplore is launching a new next-generation satellite soon offering speeds up to 100 Mbps.

If you need Internet service but have never shopped around before, this can be daunting.

You may not know what questions to ask or how much providers usually charge people in your area for different types of plans.

The best thing to do is ask friends and family who live nearby if they use a certain provider and what their experiences were like with them—this way you’ll get an idea of whether or not their needs align well with yours.

Another good place to start is the Government of Canada’s National Broadband Internet Service Availability map. There, you can enter your address and the tool will show you which Internet providers are offering specific Internet technologies in your community. Just click the arrow that says “Internet services providers (ISP) in the area.”

Reading Google reviews is another great way to choose between Internet service providers. You can find Xplore's Google Maps listing here.

You can also try Googling “best Internet service providers [insert city name here]” or "Internet providers near me" to find resources like subreddits dedicated specifically toward discussing Internet service provider options within each region; these communities often contain posts from users who are looking specifically at providers based on where they live so they can recommend certain companies based on personal experience.

You can also visit WhistleOut which compares Internet companies so you don't have to; this resource will help guide you toward a reputable Internet provider while providing insight into how well each company performs against others within the field regarding customer satisfaction metrics such as price, reliability/interruption issues (i..e., downtime), customer support among others.

Hopefully, this blog has helped you understand some of the things to consider when choosing an Internet provider for your rural home. It’s important to do your research and make sure that the provider you choose is reliable and offers a package that will meet your needs.

For more information about the Internet plans available with Xplore click here. Or, give us a call and our customer service team will be happy to help you choose an Internet package that meets your needs.