Bell Internet

Last updated
Bell Internet
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Internet service provider
FoundedNovember 29, 1995;28 years ago (1995-11-29)
Headquarters Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Products
Parent BCE Inc.
Website bell.ca/internet

Bell Internet, originally called Sympatico, is the residential Internet service provider (ISP) division of BCE Inc. As of May 3, 2012, Bell Internet had over 3 million subscribers in Ontario and Quebec, making it the largest ISP in Canada.

Contents

History

1990s: Early years

Bell Internet's former logo as Bell Sympatico Logo - Bell Sympatico.png
Bell Internet's former logo as Bell Sympatico

Sympatico was launched on November 29, 1995.[ citation needed ] Originally a national service operated jointly by Canada's incumbent local exchange carriers and operational run as a content portal by MediaLinx, the companies other than Bell [1] (including Aliant) have since retreated to their own brands.[ citation needed ]

2000s: Value-added services and rebranding

Starting in Summer 2003, Sympatico tried to differentiate its service from its competitors by adding value-added services. This meant the launch of Radial Point's (formerly Zero Knowledge) suite of antivirus, firewall and anti-spyware services. Although a fee was originally required, this is no longer the case, as Bell now provides the service at no extra charge for DSL customers. In 2004, Sympatico added a wireless modem-router hardware upgrade and Microsoft's MSN Premium software to its portfolio. In Summer 2007, Sympatico packaged its Security suite and wireless home networking modem together with its high speed offering as Sympatico Total Internet. [2]

Bell Sympatico changed its name to Bell Internet on August 8, 2008, in conjunction with the Today Just Got Better rebranding. Bell subsidiaries NorthernTel, Télébec and Northwestel continue to brand their Internet services as Sympatico, and users receive an @ntl.sympatico.ca, @tlb.sympatico.ca, or @sympatico.ca email address, respectively.

2010s: Lower caps and faster speeds

On January 3, 2012, customer advocacy blog Stop The Cap! reported that Bell lowered its bandwidth caps in Ontario and Quebec by 10 GB for all new activations of its Fibe services, except for the Fibe 25 plan in Ontario which was lowered by 25 GB instead and Fibe 6 and 7 which remain unchanged.[ dubious discuss ][ citation needed ] In May 2012, Bell launched new fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) plans and simplified its slower DSL plans. FTTH regions can now download and upload at symmetric speeds of up to 175 Mbit/s. The previous changes for lower bandwidth caps were reverted for the new Fibe 15/1 and Fibe 25/7 plans. The Fibe 5/1 plan replaced the older Essential, Essential Plus, Fibe 6 and Fibe 7 plans. The bandwidth cap for Fibe 5/1, however, was lowered from 25 GB to 15 GB.[ dubious discuss ]

The Fibe 50/50 FTTH plan was removed from Bell's website by February 2013. In its place, a Fibe 50/10 FTTN plan was made available for the first time. During that same month, usage caps for the 15/10, 25/10 and 50/10 plans were lowered by 15, 25 and 75 GB respectively.[ dubious discuss ] February also saw the addition of an unlimited Internet usage add-on for Bell Internet. It costs $30/month and can be added to any residential plan. [3] Those who subscribe to telephony (Bell Mobility or Bell Home Phone) and residential television (Bell Satellite TV or Bell Fibe TV) from Bell can obtain a $20/month discount on the unlimited Internet usage add-on.

Hardware

When Bell started its DSL Internet service, then known as Sympatico, it simply offered one DSL modem, the Nortel 1-Meg Modem, which connected to only one computer. Later, it added more models with routing and wireless LAN capabilities built-in, eliminating the need to purchase additional hardware. Customers previously had to pay extra for such capabilities. Today, both of these features are standard in both all-in-one devices Bell lends to its customers. Standard DSL customers must rent Bell's 2Wire 2701HG-G device, which can create 802.11g wireless access point. VDSL customers consist of any service with more than 1 Mbit/s of upload speed, and they must rent the Cellpipe router 802.11n-capable device instead, which also bundles a superior DSL modem.

  1. The SpeedStream 5200 is a basic, legacy device, distributed during the early 2000s, providing an RJ45 or a USB port for connectivity.
  2. The SpeedStream 6520 is a wireless-capable, legacy device, distributed during the mid-2000s,
  3. The back of the SpeedStream 6520. Four RJ45 ports, one USB port and 802.11g wireless LAN antenna for connectivity can be seen.
  4. The 2Wire 2701HG-G is Bell's current device for standard DSL customers, distributed since 2009. It provides four RJ45 ports and 802.11g wireless LAN for connectivity, but omits the previously available USB port.
  5. The Cellpipe 7130 has the same ports as the 2Wire, but also adds ports for a wireless antenna, a console or fiber. (No longer being distributed)
  6. The Sagemcom F@st 2864 (marketed as the ″Bell Connection Hub″) was used for ADSL/VDSL and FTTH customers, distributed 2010 to June 2014. It provides one WAN port for FTTH, an RJ11 jack for VDSL connection, four GigE LAN ports, an HPNA connector, 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN for connectivity and 2 USB ports.
  7. The Sagemcom F@st 4350 (Marketed as the "Home Hub 1000") is Bell's current device, since June 2014, for internet only customers subscribing to 15/10 or higher and issued on both ADSL/VDSL and FTTH. It provides one WAN port for FTTH, an RJ11 jack for VDSL connection, four GigE LAN ports, 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) wireless LAN for connectivity and 2 USB ports.
  8. The Sagemcom F@st 5250 (Marketed as the "Home Hub 2000") is Bell's current device, since June 2014, for internet and Fibe TV customers issued on both ADSL/VDSL and FTTH. It provides one WAN port for FTTH, two grey RJ11 jack for VDSL connection (pair bonding capable), two green RJ11 jacks for VoIP (not currently used), four GigE LAN ports, 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) and 802.11a/n/ac (5 GHz) wireless LAN for connectivity and 2 USB ports.

As of November 2021, the Home Hub 4000 is Bell's newest modem, for Internet and Fibe TV customers on different types of Plans.

Services

While Bell Internet mostly sells digital subscriber line (DSL) service, they also offer dial-up service to businesses and grandfathered residential customers. This legacy technology uses a telephone modem to provide Internet access.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

Bell's digital subscriber line (DSL) services are based on ADSL, ADSL2+ and VDSL2 technology. The main differences in both equipments vary from the speed of signal, its length and its ability to overcome the noise of a phone line. Except for very few grandfathered customers, Bell has monthly data transfer limits for all of their tiered Internet services. Both downloads and uploads count towards the limit. The following Bell Internet services are only available in Ontario and Quebec, and availability varies by region. Fibe services can only be used where fibre-to-the-neighbourhood (FTTN) technology is deployed. This currently includes urban Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto as well as most major cities around GTA. Non-FTTN regions offer two plans: Bell Internet and Bell Internet Plus.

Bell has simplified its DSL lineup to offer only two traditional plans and five FTTN plans.

Fibre To The Home (FTTH)

Bell Fibe Internet (FTTH) services are offered by Bell in select regions of Ontario and Quebec. Bell guarantees that the FTTH download and upload speeds advertised will be delivered to the Bell equipment. Bell Fibe Internet is offered at the following speeds: 25/25 Mbit/s, 50/50 Mbit/s, 150/150 Mbit/s, 500/500 Mbit/s, 1.5/0.94 Gbit/s, 3/3 Gbit/s, and 8/8 Gbit/s. [4]

Bell Aliant offers a similar but different Fibe service under the same branding to certain areas in Atlantic Canada.

Dry DSL

Naked DSL, commonly known as dry DSL in Canada, consists of a DSL service without a traditional home phone service. Bell does not charge any additional fees for dry DSL service; previously, there was a charge of $4 per month. Bell charges resellers a monthly fee ranging from $7.25 to $25.10 and a one-time activation fee for dry DSL service. Although Bell still attributes a phone number to a dry DSL line, it cannot be used for phone calls. When one attempts to call a dry DSL phone number, they receive the following message: "The number you are calling cannot receive incoming calls. This is a recording." The message is then repeated in French.

McAfee Security

Since April 11, 2013, Bell offers McAfee Security on all of its current Internet plans.

Add-ons

These are services offered by Bell Internet in addition to DSL or FTTH services, either for free or at additional costs:

Legacy services

Bell previously offered Portable Internet and Rural Internet services in select rural regions, similarly to what Rogers Communications offered. [5] These services used the Inukshuk Wireless network. Bell is discontinuing these offerings.[ citation needed ] Customers are encouraged to use Bell Mobility Internet services instead, which generally offer a much lower bandwidth cap.

Bell Entertainment was a bundle offer which included Bell Fibe TV service and 25 Mbit/s "Fibe" DSL. It was only available in some parts of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Customers can now add any DSL Internet plan to their Fibe TV service. Despite being an IPTV service, Bell does not charge usage-based billing for Bell Fibe TV.

Personal Vault was a backup service, available nationwide both for customers and non-customers.

While inMusic remains available as a music news portal, both the online music store and subscription service were discontinued.

See also

Related Research Articles

Digital subscriber line is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), the most commonly installed DSL technology, for Internet access.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DSLAM</span> Network device that connects DSL interfaces to a digital communications channel

A digital subscriber line access multiplexer is a network device, often located in telephone exchanges, that connects multiple customer digital subscriber line (DSL) interfaces to a high-speed digital communications channel using multiplexing techniques. Its cable internet (DOCSIS) counterpart is the cable modem termination system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet access</span> Individual connection to the Internet


Internet access is a facility or service that provides connectivity for a computer, a computer network, or other network device to the Internet, and for individuals or organizations to access or use applications such as email and the World Wide Web. Internet access is offered for sale by an international hierarchy of Internet service providers (ISPs) using various networking technologies. At the retail level, many organizations, including municipal entities, also provide cost-free access to the general public.

A wireless gateway routes packets from a wireless LAN to another network, wired or wireless WAN. It may be implemented as software or hardware or a combination of both. Wireless gateways combine the functions of a wireless access point, a router, and often provide firewall functions as well. They provide network address translation (NAT) functionality, so multiple users can use the internet with a single public IP. It also acts like a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) to assign IPs automatically to devices connected to the network.

The Freebox is an ADSL-VDSL-FTTH modem and a set-top box that the French Internet service provider named Free provides to its DSL-FTTH subscribers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WiBro</span> Wireless broadband Internet technology

WiBro is a wireless broadband Internet technology developed by the South Korean telecoms industry. WiBro is the South Korean service name for IEEE 802.16e international standard. By the end of 2012, the Korean Communications Commission intends to increase WiBro broadband connection speeds to 10 Mbit/s, around ten times the 2009 speed, which will complement their 1 Gbit/s fibre-optic network. The WiBro networks were shut down at the end of 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DSL modem</span> Type of computer network modem; network equipment

A digital subscriber line (DSL) modem is a device used to connect a computer or router to a telephone line which provides the digital subscriber line (DSL) service for connection to the Internet, which is often called DSL broadband. The modem connects to a single computer or router, through an Ethernet port, USB port, or is installed in a computer PCI slot.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fritz!Box</span> Brand of residential gateway devices

Fritz!Box, stylised as FRITZ!Box, is a series of residential gateway devices produced by the German company AVM GmbH. In 2010 it was estimated the series had a market share of 68% of the digital subscriber line (DSL) consumer equipment in Germany.

Whidbey Telecom is a private, independent telecommunications company operating on the South End of Whidbey Island in Washington State, the community of Point Roberts, Washington, and its affiliate Hat Island Telephone Company on Hat (Gedney) Island. Whidbey Telecom has been locally owned and operated since it started business in 1908.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BT Smart Hub</span> Family of wireless residential gateway router modems distributed by BT

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video-ready access device</span>

A video-ready access device (VRAD) provides digital subscriber line access and high-definition television programming to customers subscribed to IPTV services such as AT&T's U-verse, Bell Canada's Bell Fibe TV, Claro Puerto Rico's Claro TV, and Telus's Optik TV. VRAD equipment manufactured by Alcatel-Lucent can be configured to support between 48 and 864 lines per box. The VRAD boxes are composed of circuit boards providing service, fed by fiber-optic cable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TekSavvy</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AT&T Internet</span> Broadband internet service

AT&T Internet is an AT&T brand of broadband internet service. Previously, AT&T Internet was branded as U-verse Internet and bundled with U-verse TV, which was spun off into the newly independent DirecTV in 2021. AT&T Internet plans powered by fiber-optic cable use the AT&T Fiber brand.

References

  1. "Mobile phones, TV, Internet and Home phone service - Bell Canada". bell.ca.
  2. "Bell Internet". bell.ca.
  3. "Unlimited Internet – Bell Internet promotion". bell.ca.
  4. "Fibe Internet Plans"
  5. "Bell Internet". bell.ca. Archived from the original on 2011-11-01.