Discussions

Hi I don't understand why rural internet is much money, can understand why a bit but with rfnow fiber is 139.95/M for 100MBS Down and 100MBS up that's great if you can afford the install fee, but there wireless is  
5 Mbps download / 2 Mbps upload $79.95/mo  
 
10 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload $119.95/mo  
 
15 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload $159.95/mo  
 
20 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload $179.95/mo  
 
25 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload $199.95/mo  
To me that's veer expansive.

It will cost a fair bit to put up a tower, compared to the number of people it would be possible to service from that tower.  
 
Each cell on the tower will also have a limited amount of people that can connect to it. I would rather pay more than be stuck on an over provisioned tower/cell. (which is a common complaint of one of RFNow's competitors)  
 
There's also the costs associated with keeping customers happy. More customer side issues come up than with a wired connection. Radios come out of alignment, line of sight changes, even seasonal environment factors can affect the quality of a client's connection.  
 
If we look at one of RFNow's competitors, 10 down/2 up costs $90 + $7.50 for onsite support + $4 wireless range licence fee. So they're definitely competitive.  
 
So as a business, I don't think they are gouging people. It's just one of the many things that costs more when you're rural.  
 
Disclaimer: I do not have internet service from RFNow, I just wish I did. I'm with one of their competitors.

I can't get this in my area but for 50mbs it's 109/M  
LTE 50  
Up to 50 Mbps  
Download Speed (UpLoad 25Mbs  
Unlimited Data  
$59/month  
for the first 3 months, $109.99/month begins in month 4  
 
Edited by Mcman, 2020-08-15 13:56:17

Is an issue because this puts rural businesses at a competitive disadvantage. I have a limited xplornet contract because I refuse to pay inflated prices ( and they are the only company available in my area) so I limit my internet use accordingly. This does restrict certain tools that I could otherwise use to farm more efficiently though. A few business groups are pressuring government to expand rural internet services.

I think Manitoba xplornet is still all WiiMax 4G, so you'd have to be comparing with a different plan. (I'm pretty sure the WiiMax service is max 2Mbps upload)

No suppose a lot of the towers have been upgraded to the LTE from the WiMAX. I don't know about all of them but quite a majority of them have been, I'm just on the very edge of the service area I believe the closest Tower to me would be Virden, witch is 59km away. I have no complaints about RF now just a little pricier.

Looks like you're right.

I’m a former resident of Brandon living in Morden. Currently paying $80+ for horrible DSL service from MTS. I signed up for the fiber install that’s supposed to start soon. The initial contract I signed was for a guaranteed 50/50 for $60 a month. Because I was an early contract they upgraded me to 100/100 for the same price. I see the RF Now prices in the Brandon/Trans-Canada corridor and I am a little thankful for the competition that exists where I am.

https://valleyfiber.ca/