A Student’s Guide to Internet Providers In Ontario

As a student, chances are you use the Internet for just about everything: homework assignments, online classes, television shows, movies, and social media. The Internet plays a huge role in almost every student’s post-secondary years.
For Ontario students, finding a reliable Internet provider that meets their budget can be a tricky thing. Before you sign a potentially lengthy and costly contract with the first provider you check out, it’s important to take a closer look at what sort of plan you need.
Start by looking at what you’re going to be using it for:

• Will you be streaming in lieu of getting cable?
• Will you be taking any online courses?
• Will you need it to complete the majority of your assignments?
• Will you have lectures you’ll need to watch online?
• Will you be using it to connect with family and friends?
• How many people will be using the internet?

Once you’ve assessed your usage, you can begin to look at what Ontario Internet providers have to offer in your neck of the woods – say, for instance, London – and what features you can add on or leave out. In order to find the right provider and package for your usage needs, take into consideration the following factors:

• Data Caps: If the plan has a data cap, it means you will be allotted a certain number of gigabytes (GB) and charged for any usage that exceeds this number. If you’ve determined your usage is going to be high or if you have a number of users in a single household, you might want to consider an unlimited plan. When looking for an unlimited plan, many students will seek our smaller providers as they often offer unlimited data as a standard for all or most of their packages. These unlimited plans are also often less expensive than their bigger competitors’ counterparts.
• Speed: When comparing speeds between Internet providers, you’ll want to look at the megabits per second (mbps) to determine how quick a connection is; the higher the mbps, the faster your Internet connection will be. If you plan on doing any streaming and/or don’t want a connection that lags, you should look for a speed of at least 6 mbps or higher.
• Additional Costs: Some Internet providers in Ontario won’t include additional costs, such as modem rental fees, in their advertised prices. Don’t be surprised when you get your first bill and make sure you know exactly what is and isn’t included in your plan. Additionally, some providers will advertise plans at an introductory discount (e.g. 20 dollars off for the first three months). It’s important to know just how much your package will actually cost before you sign up for anything.

Small Internet providers across Ontario offer students plans that cut the price without sacrificing the data and speed they need to connect, stream, and study away. Deadlines, early morning classes, and exams might be hard – but choosing a reliable, inexpensive internet package doesn’t have to be.