Understanding internet speeds

Topics covered on this page:

• What are internet speeds, and why do they matter?
• Internet speeds study in B.C.
• Internet speed resources

​​What are internet speeds, and why do they matter?

Your internet experience relies on the performance of your internet connection, as digital services are dependent on available speed. Internet speed refers to the speed by which data, including files, websites, pictures, music, and movies, travels from the internet to and from your home computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Internet speeds are typically expressed as numbers. For example, speeds of 50/10 mean a 50 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed.

In 2016, the Canadian Radio-Telecommunications Commission established a Universal Service Objective for all Canadian homes and businesses to have access to broadband internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads. In addition to having access to these minimum speeds, every Canadian should have the option of subscribing to an internet plan with unlimited data usage

A study into internet speeds in B.C.

In 2021, some rural communities in British Columbia voiced concerns they were not experiencing the 50/10 Mbps speeds reported for their region on the federal National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map (the map).

The Ministry of Citizens' Services, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and Northern Development Initiative Trust collaborated on a study to understand these speed discrepancies. TANEx Engineering was contracted to perform the study. A summary of the study and the full report from TANEx are available.

The study found that communities may have reduced speeds for many reasons. However, three categories were identified as contributing to slower speeds:

• Technical or network challenges, including network quality;
• Consumer preference and/or whether internet service in their home or business is optimized; and
• Inconsistent ways of measuring internet speeds.

The study helps to understand internet speeds and why some rural communities in B.C. may not be experiencing speeds as reported. The Ministry took action to address the findings. These actions include:

• Reviewing report findings for specific locations directly with service providers​: The Ministry has reached out to service providers with the findings from the report and asked them to advise on any technical, network or other issues that would impact speeds to communities, specifically for the communities or locales highlighted by TANEx with a high potential of experiencing slower speeds than those stated on the map.
• Supporting British Columbians to get the most out of available internet speeds:

The Ministry established a partnership with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) to develop educational resources to help consumers and communities get the most out of available internet speeds. These include resources to help you get the most out of your internet  and what to do if your internet is slow. You can also test your internet speed online with CIRA.

Working with our federal colleagues, the Ministry is engaging Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada, which manages the map, to discuss ways of ensuring the speeds reported by service providers reflected in the federal map are representative of the speeds experienced by community residents.

Internet speed resources

Download speed: How fast information is delivered to you from the internet.

Upload speed: How fast information travels from you to the internet.

• How to get the most out of your internet 
• What to do if your internet is slow