TekSavvy
A Canadian independent telecommunications provider offering residential, business, wholesale, Internet, voice, television, and selected self-built network services.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is an independent Canadian telecommunications company headquartered in Chatham, Ontario. Its consumer-facing business is best known for Internet access, but the company has also offered business connectivity, wholesale telecommunications, voice services, web hosting, and television. Unlike facilities-based national carriers that generally control the customer relationship and much of the access network, TekSavvy has historically operated primarily through wholesale access arrangements. It connects customers to last-mile infrastructure belonging to major Canadian telephone and cable operators, including Bell Canada and Bell Aliant, Telus, Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw, Vidéotron, and Eastlink. This model has allowed TekSavvy to sell services across much of Canada without duplicating every incumbent network. The company was founded in January 1998 and developed as an alternative Internet service provider during the expansion of Canadian broadband. Its offerings have varied according to the network platform available in each region. DSL services have used telephone-company infrastructure in Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Alberta, and British Columbia, while cable services have used infrastructure operated by cable carriers in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and other areas. In rural parts of southwestern Ontario, TekSavvy has supplemented wholesale access with its own fixed-wireless network, marketed as Sky Fi. It has also begun deploying its own fibre network in parts of southwestern Ontario, giving the company a more direct facilities-based presence in selected communities. TekSavvy's market identity has centered on price competitiveness, transparent plan choices, and support for consumer and Internet-policy issues. The company became particularly visible in debates over wholesale access and usage-based billing, opposing what it viewed as punitive bandwidth charges that could restrict Internet use and weaken competition from independent providers. Its public advocacy helped distinguish the brand from a purely retail reseller and positioned it as a participant in Canadian telecommunications-policy debates. Its product portfolio has included broadband Internet delivered through DSL, fibre, cable, and fixed wireless; business Internet and dedicated fibre access; VoIP calling; web hosting; and residential telephone service branded TekTalk. TekSavvy TV, an over-the-top television service offered through affiliate Hastings Cable Vision, launched in Ottawa in 2019 and later expanded to additional parts of Ottawa and Quebec. The television product combined a basic channel package with optional channel packs, thematic programming, video-on-demand, and TV Everywhere access where supported. TekSavvy achieved notable visibility in Canadian business rankings and consumer technology communities. It appeared repeatedly on Canadian Business magazine's Profit 100 list during the late 2000s and early 2010s, and it was recognized in a 2012 Branham 300 ranking. Users of DSLreports.com rated it Canada's leading Internet service provider for several years through 2011. The company has also been involved in important legal and privacy questions, including the Voltage Pictures effort to obtain subscriber information in a copyright case. TekSavvy did not categorically refuse disclosure, but maintained that customer information should be released only under a court order and that affected customers should receive notice. The resulting Federal Court framework limited the information available to Voltage and imposed safeguards on communications with subscribers.
History
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. was established in January 1998 in Chatham, Ontario. It entered the Canadian telecommunications market as an independent provider, building its business around access to incumbent telephone and cable networks rather than constructing a nationwide last-mile system of its own. This wholesale-oriented model enabled TekSavvy to serve customers in multiple provinces while focusing its own resources on retail service, customer support, billing, product design, and advocacy. During the 2000s, the company expanded its broadband footprint through DSL and cable access arrangements. Its service availability and maximum speeds differed by province and by the underlying carrier. Telephone-based access used Bell or Bell Aliant networks in several eastern and central Canadian markets and Telus networks in Alberta and British Columbia. Cable-based services used infrastructure associated with Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw, Vidéotron, and Eastlink. This structure meant that TekSavvy's packages, speed tiers, data allowances, and technical requirements could vary considerably from one region to another. The company gained recognition for rapid growth. It placed repeatedly on Canadian Business magazine's Profit 100 list, ranking 27th in 2008, 33rd in 2009, 44th in 2010, and 33rd in 2011. By 2011, users of DSLreports.com had rated TekSavvy as Canada's leading ISP for five consecutive years. In 2012, it appeared at number 12 on the Branham 300 Top 20 Movers & Shakers list. These recognitions reflected the growth of independent broadband providers as Canadian consumers sought alternatives to the dominant national carriers. TekSavvy became a prominent participant in the Canadian debate over wholesale Internet pricing and usage-based billing. The company opposed charging structures that it believed would make large data allowances uneconomic for independent ISPs or encourage restrictive consumer plans. Former chief executive Rocky Gaudrault argued that increasing Internet use should be accommodated through higher volume and more efficient infrastructure rather than restrained through punitive prices. TekSavvy devoted substantial public communications to the issue, linking its commercial position to broader arguments about competition, network investment, and consumer choice. The company continued to broaden its services. DSL plans evolved as higher-speed tiers became available to third-party providers. In 2011, TekSavvy began offering higher DSL tiers after regulatory and wholesale-access changes, and in March 2013 it added a 50 Mbit/s tier. Cable packages also expanded as network capabilities improved, eventually including substantially faster plans in some markets. The company offered business broadband, dedicated fibre access, VoIP telephony, and web hosting alongside residential products. In rural southwestern Ontario, TekSavvy developed a fixed-wireless network branded Sky Fi, using unlicensed spectrum to reach selected communities in Chatham-Kent, Lambton, and Essex. It later began rolling out its own fibre infrastructure in parts of southwestern Ontario. These investments represented a partial shift from pure wholesale dependence toward a mixed operating model combining leased last-mile access with company-controlled facilities. TekSavvy's privacy position received national attention in the Voltage Pictures litigation. In 2012, the American film company sought information about roughly 2,000 TekSavvy subscribers linked to IP addresses allegedly associated with unauthorized file sharing. The Federal Court's 2014 decision required TekSavvy to identify specified subscribers but imposed safeguards: Voltage was limited primarily to names and mailing addresses, its notices had to be approved and clearly state that infringement had not yet been judicially established, and it had to cover the relevant legal and identification costs. TekSavvy said it would comply only after the court's conditions were met and customers had been notified. The case became part of the wider Canadian debate over copyright enforcement, privacy, and so-called copyright-trolling practices. On February 1, 2019, TekSavvy TV launched in Ottawa through affiliate Hastings Cable Vision. The service provided a basic digital package, optional channel packs, thematic packages, video-on-demand content, and selected TV Everywhere programming. It later expanded to additional areas of Ottawa and Quebec. TekSavvy therefore developed from an independent broadband reseller into a broader telecommunications brand combining wholesale services, selected proprietary networks, voice, business connectivity, and Internet-delivered television.
- 2019
TekSavvy TV launches
[1]An affiliated operation launched TekSavvy TV for selected Internet customers in Ottawa.
- 2014
Federal Court disclosure framework
[1]The court ordered limited disclosure in the Voltage matter and established conditions for notices, customer information, and costs.
- 2013
50 Mbit/s DSL tier introduced
[1]TekSavvy added a 50 Mbit/s fibre-to-the-node DSL offering.
- 2012
Branham 300 recognition and Voltage proceedings
[1]TekSavvy ranked 12th on the Branham 300 Top 20 Movers & Shakers list, while Voltage Pictures initiated Federal Court proceedings seeking subscriber information.
- 2011
Expanded DSL access and continued industry recognition
[1]The company began offering higher DSL tiers after wholesale-access changes and ranked 33rd on the Profit 100 list. DSLreports.com users had also rated it Canada's top ISP for five years.
- 2008
First cited Profit 100 appearance
[1]TekSavvy ranked 27th on Canadian Business magazine's Profit 100 list of fast-growing companies.
- 1998
Company founded
[1]TekSavvy Solutions Inc. was founded in January in Chatham, Ontario.
Products and positioning
An independent, price-conscious alternative to Canada's large incumbent telecommunications providers, with an emphasis on competitive broadband plans, consumer choice, and telecommunications-policy advocacy.
Broadband Internet
DSL Internet
TekSavvy has provided DSL and fibre-to-the-node broadband over telephone-company networks. Availability, speed, modem requirements, and plan structure have depended on the underlying Bell, Bell Aliant, or Telus access network. The company expanded beyond early low-speed tiers as higher wholesale speeds became available, including a 50 Mbit/s tier introduced in 2013.
Broadband Internet
Cable Internet
Cable broadband has been delivered through access networks operated by Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw, Vidéotron, and Eastlink. Plans and speeds have varied by region, with the historical portfolio ranging from entry-level services to substantially faster offerings, including gigabit-class speeds in some areas.
Fixed-wireless Internet
Sky Fi
Sky Fi is TekSavvy's fixed-wireless broadband brand for selected rural areas of southwestern Ontario. The service uses TekSavvy's own network and unlicensed spectrum to reach communities in parts of Chatham-Kent, Lambton, and Essex where conventional wired access may be less practical.
VoIP telephone service
TekTalk
TekTalk is TekSavvy's residential telephone offering based on voice-over-IP technology. It has been available in selected Canadian provinces, including British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, and forms part of the company's broader voice and communications portfolio.
Over-the-top television · 2019
TekSavvy TV
TekSavvy TV is an Internet-delivered residential television service launched through affiliate Hastings Cable Vision. Its structure has included a low-cost basic package, optional pick packs and theme packs, video-on-demand programming, and TV Everywhere access from selected networks. The service initially launched in Ottawa and later expanded into additional Ottawa and Quebec markets.
Business telecommunications
Business Internet and dedicated fibre access
Business customers have been offered broadband connectivity, dedicated fibre access, and related telecommunications services in many service areas. These offerings extend TekSavvy's wholesale-access model beyond residential connectivity and support organizations requiring higher-capacity or more specialized connections.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Anti-usage-based-billing advocacy
Canada
TekSavvy used its public communications to oppose usage-based billing and related wholesale pricing practices. The campaign argued that restrictive or punitive data pricing could suppress Internet consumption and disadvantage independent providers.
Outcome. The campaign made TekSavvy a visible participant in Canadian broadband-policy debates, although the cited material does not establish a single campaign result.
Brand decisions
2019
Launch of TekSavvy TVProduct launchBackground
TekSavvy sought to extend its relationship with broadband customers into residential television.
Action taken
Affiliate Hastings Cable Vision launched an over-the-top television service for selected TekSavvy Internet customers in Ottawa on February 1, 2019.
Aftermath
The service subsequently expanded to additional parts of Ottawa and Quebec.
2013
Introduction of 50 Mbit/s DSL serviceProduct launchBackground
Higher-speed DSL and fibre-to-the-node tiers became available to third-party providers through changes in Canadian wholesale access.
Action taken
TekSavvy added a 50 Mbit/s DSL tier on March 20, 2013.
Aftermath
The offering expanded TekSavvy's ability to compete with incumbent broadband plans using leased telephone infrastructure.
2011
Public opposition to usage-based billingStrategyBackground
TekSavvy considered large or punitive wholesale bandwidth charges a threat to independent ISP competition and to the continued growth of consumer Internet use.
Action taken
The company publicly advocated for larger allowances, lower effective bandwidth costs, and network investment rather than pricing structures designed to discourage usage.
Aftermath
The position became a prominent part of TekSavvy's brand identity and policy advocacy.
Recent events
TekSavvy announces internet price increases[2]
Reported:
TekSavvy announced monthly internet price increases of C$5 for customers on plans of 15 Mbps or lower and C$10 for customers on higher-speed plans. The new pricing took effect for new customers on August 16, 2020, and was scheduled to take effect for existing customers on October 1, 2020.
TekSavvy partners with Ericsson to expand rural network[3]
Reported:
TekSavvy partnered with Ericsson to upgrade and expand its rural fixed wireless access network in Southwestern Ontario. Ericsson will provide radio system hardware and software, cloud infrastructure, and microwave links.
Sources3 sources
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