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Connectivity infrastructure

Last updated on February 5, 2024

With regards to broadband technologies, there is no standard solution. The "right" technology and service option to extend connectivity vary depending on the community.

This section presents the different technologies used to deliver internet services in British Columbia. It provides you with the background information you need to feel confident when engaging with service providers and technical experts.

On this page, you will learn about:

Connectivity infrastructure

The internet, as we understand it today, is a global computer network that allows us to communicate and to access and share data. While the internet itself has become easy to use and navigate, few people can appreciate how digital signals from the world reach them in their homes and businesses.

There are two important connections that your community must consider as part of an overall broadband solution:

  • How is the community connected to the internet? First, your community must have a connection to the broader internet infrastructure, and specifically an interconnection with an Internet Exchange (IX). This backbone connection provides the link between the community and the rest of the world. In British Columbia, there is one Internet Exchange (IX) in Vancouver. Some communities or service providers may find it more practical to make an interconnection in Calgary or Edmonton.
  • How are households and businesses connected within a community? Your community will also need to link individual households and businesses with the backbone infrastructure that connects to the broader internet. This second type of connection is known as the last mile. It is important to note that the point at which these two connections meet is normally known as a Point of Presence (PoP).

Connectivity Infrastructure in British Columbia

Broadband technology

In addition to determining how to connect to an Internet Exchange, communities also need to determine the type of technology to use to deliver internet services to households and businesses.

Each type of technology provides different levels of service to the consumer, has various types of costs to deploy and operate, and is suitable for types of environments. The types of technologies used to deliver internet services in British Columbia can be separated into two categories, wired and wireless:

  • Wired broadband: Delivers services over some type of wire connected to your home or office. This includes copper telephone lines, coaxial television cables, and fibre optic cables.
  • Wireless broadband: Uses radio waves and does not require a wire running to your home or office. This includes fixed wireless, mobile wireless and satellite.

Aerial fibre, which is deployed on poles, tends to cost less to deploy but can be a problem for areas with extreme weather due to its vulnerability to the elements. Buried fibre is often more expensive to deploy, but its underground position means it will not be exposed to a range of weather conditions. 

Rural and remote communities should also consider copper-based technology (e.g. coaxial cable and digital subscriber line (DSL)) and the different wireless options (e.g. fixed, mobile, and satellite). Whether these options are suitable for your community will depend on cost, performance standards, existing infrastructure, and geography. For example, some wireless technologies need line-of-sight locations.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology

Connectivity through satellites is not new; what's new is the emergence of broadband internet services through Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology. LEO satellites orbit closer to the earth than traditional communications satellites, which creates a faster and more reliable internet connection and limits service delays.

While this technology does not represent a fix-all solution to connectivity, LEO satellite technology is an emerging solution for remote communities where a terrestrial build may not be feasible.

Low Earth Orbit satellites

What is meant by internet 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. The speed of this data is measured in megabits per second (Mbps).

Digital services are dependent on available speed, and connectivity is commonly measured by two speeds:

  • Download speed: how fast information is delivered to you from the internet.
  • Upload speed: how fast information is travelling from you to the internet.

In 2016, the CRTC established a universal, or ‘basic’, service standard. This new target for internet speeds aims for all Canadian homes and businesses to have access to broadband Internet speeds of at least 50 Mbps for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads for fixed broadband services with an unlimited data option.

Unlike the CRTC’s previous 5/1 Mbps target, which could be achieved through existing television cables and telephone lines, 50/10 Mbps requires new wired, wireless or satellite infrastructure.

Passive infrastructure

Passive infrastructure is a commonly used term by the telecommunications industry. It refers to existing civil infrastructure that can be used to attach cables and wireless antennas as part of a network deployment. This includes roadways, utility poles, streetlights, underground conduits.

Under the Telecommunications Act, carriers have a right to access passive infrastructure on municipal rights-of-way (ROW) and "other public spaces" to deploy their network. At the same time, the Act states that carriers can only access ROW and other public places with the consent of the municipality. Municipalities cannot deny access to carriers, but they can dictate reasonable terms of access to their ROW through the conditions of their consent.

Municipalities can use a Municipal Access Agreement (MAA) to establish the terms and conditions under which carriers can construct, maintain, and operate their infrastructure on municipal property. MMAs serve to protect local taxpayers by ensuring direct and indirect costs are not transferred to the municipality (e.g. pavement degradation, liabilities, etc.).

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