Getting connected to the Internet in Canada is fairly easy. Regular residential service class options include: dial-up, ADSL and cable.
Not all services are available everywhere, which means that in some areas you may be stuck with only one option (usually dial up). However, if you live in a large city such as Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver you will have plenty of options to choose from.
If you happen to live in a apartment or house that had a high-speed internet service in the past, the connection time by your ISP should be fairly quick (even within 24hrs). If not, it may take a few days to get high-speed internet service connection.
If you have a portable computer, some establishments such as airports, four and five star hotels, and cafés such as “Starbucks” and “Second Cup” may have Wi-Fi connections available for a fee. Even though these are not widely available yet, they offer an alternative to Internet cafes.
Dial-up is the most basic of the Internet Services and is available everywhere there is a phone line. If you choose a dial-up service, ensure that the number you dial to get connected is either a toll free number (i.e. 1-800) or a local call in your area. If not, you will be paying long distance charges every time you access it. Most dial-up services offer flat rates of about CAD$ 20 or less per month and some of them may offer additional features such as email addresses, website space, etc.
There are many options and packages available with High-speed Internet in major cities. You may be able to get High-speed Internet through your phone service provider or through your cable TV operator.
The slowest of the high-speed services are in the range of 128kbps – 256kbps and cost around CAD$ 30 per month. Depending on your area the current fastest ADSL and cable speeds are around 10Mbps and such service is about CAD$ 55 per month including taxes.
Sometimes you may be able to bundle your Internet service with your TV and/or wireless service and you could save between 10% and 20% of the costs of buying each service separately.