Quick Answer: Rogers vs Telus
Rogers is Canada’s largest cable internet provider with 4.5 million customers (8.5M including Shaw). Rogers Ignite uses DOCSIS 3.1 cable for downloads up to 2.5 Gbps and offers fiber up to 3 Gbps in select areas. Plans start at $75 per month.
Telus is Western Canada’s largest fiber provider with 2.6 million internet customers. Telus PureFibre delivers symmetrical speeds from 150 Mbps to 3 Gbps using fiber-to-the-home. Plans start at $85 per month.
Quick verdict: Telus for uploads and consistency. Rogers for fastest raw downloads at lower entry price.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Rogers and Telus compete directly in Western Canada since Rogers acquired Shaw in 2023. The table below shows how cable and fiber compare.
| Feature | Rogers | Telus |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Toronto, ON | Vancouver, BC |
| Internet Subscribers | 8.5M (incl. Shaw) | 2.6M |
| Technology | DOCSIS 3.1 cable + limited fiber | FTTH symmetrical fiber |
| Cheapest Plan | $75/month (150 Mbps) | $85/month (150 Mbps) |
| Max Download Speed | 3 Gbps (fiber), 2.5 Gbps (cable) | 3 Gbps |
| Max Upload (cable) | 100 Mbps | Not applicable |
| Max Upload (fiber) | 3 Gbps (limited areas) | 3 Gbps |
| Symmetrical Upload | Fiber only (limited) | All PureFibre plans |
| Data Caps | Unlimited all plans | Unlimited all plans |
| Peak Congestion | 10-25% slowdown evenings | None on fiber |
| Latency | 15-25ms | 5-12ms |
| Contract | 24 months typical | 24 months typical |
| Router | Ignite WiFi 6E gateway | WiFi 6/6E gateway |
| TV Service | Ignite TV (Sportsnet, CityTV) | Optik TV |
The core difference is technology. Rogers cable delivers fast downloads but limited uploads. Telus fiber delivers symmetrical speeds with lower latency.
Test Your Rogers Speed | Test Your Telus Speed
Speed Comparison
Download Speeds
Rogers cable offers the fastest raw download speeds in Western Canada. Telus fiber matches at common tiers but Rogers edges ahead with 2.5 Gbps cable.
| Speed Tier | Rogers Plan | Rogers Price | Telus Plan | Telus Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 Mbps | Ignite 150 | $75 | PureFibre 150 | $85 |
| 500 Mbps | Ignite 500 | $95 | PureFibre 500 | $100 |
| 1 Gbps | Ignite Gigabit | $115 | PureFibre Gigabit | $115 |
| 2.5 Gbps | Ignite 2.5 Gigabit | $135 | Not available (cable) | - |
| 3 Gbps | Ignite 3 Gigabit | $150 | PureFibre 3 Gigabit | $145 |
At 3 Gbps, Telus is $5 cheaper ($145 vs $150). Rogers 2.5 Gbps cable at $135 has no direct Telus cable equivalent.
Upload Speeds
Upload speeds reveal the fundamental difference between cable and fiber. This matters for video calls, cloud backup, content creation, and working from home.
| Plan | Rogers Upload | Telus Upload | Telus Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 Mbps tier | 15 Mbps | 150 Mbps | 10x faster |
| 500 Mbps tier | 20 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 25x faster |
| Gigabit tier | 30 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | 33x faster |
| 2.5 Gbps tier | 100 Mbps | Not available | - |
| 3 Gbps tier | 3,000 Mbps* | 3,000 Mbps | Equal |
*Rogers 3 Gbps is fiber (limited areas) with symmetrical speeds. Rogers cable plans are asymmetrical.
Latency
Telus fiber averages 5-12ms latency. Rogers cable averages 15-25ms. The 10-15ms difference matters for competitive gaming, video calls, and real-time applications.
Run Speed Test Now to check your actual connection speed.
Coverage Comparison
Western Canada (Direct Competition)
Rogers and Telus compete head-to-head in British Columbia and Alberta since Rogers acquired Shaw in 2023. Shaw’s cable network is being rebranded as Rogers Ignite.
| City | Rogers (Cable) | Telus (Fiber) |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 70-80% cable coverage | 85%+ fiber coverage |
| Calgary | 70-80% cable | 75-80% fiber |
| Edmonton | 70-80% cable | 75-80% fiber |
| Victoria | 65-75% cable | 80%+ fiber |
| Kelowna | 60-70% cable | 75%+ fiber |
In Western Canada, Telus has higher fiber penetration in most cities. Rogers cable coverage is broader in terms of total addressable homes but Telus fiber is expanding rapidly.
Eastern Canada (Rogers Dominant)
In Ontario, Rogers is the primary cable provider. Telus has negligible Ontario coverage (limited to select Toronto and Ottawa neighborhoods). Bell fiber is Rogers’ main Eastern competition, not Telus.
Rural Areas
Neither provider serves rural areas well. Rogers cable is urban and suburban only. Telus offers DSL (5-150 Mbps) and 5G Smart Hub in rural BC and Alberta. For rural Canadians, Starlink or regional providers are often better options.
Pricing Comparison
All prices shown in Canadian Dollars (CAD) per month. Both providers use promotional pricing for 12-24 months with increases after.
Entry Level
Rogers Ignite 150 costs $75 per month. Telus PureFibre 150 costs $85 per month. Rogers saves $10 per month at entry level. Over 24 months, that is $240 in savings.
Mid-Range
Rogers Ignite 500 costs $95 per month. Telus PureFibre 500 costs $100 per month. Rogers saves $5 per month. However, Telus delivers 500 Mbps upload versus Rogers’ 20 Mbps upload.
Gigabit
Both charge $115 per month for gigabit. Rogers delivers 1000/30 Mbps. Telus delivers 1000/1000 Mbps. Same price, but Telus provides 33 times faster uploads.
Premium
Rogers Ignite 2.5 Gigabit costs $135 for 2500/100 Mbps (cable). Telus PureFibre 1.5 Gigabit costs $125 for 1500/1500 Mbps. Telus is $10 cheaper with 15 times faster uploads, though Rogers has faster downloads.
Rogers 3 Gbps fiber costs $150. Telus 3 Gbps fiber costs $145. Telus saves $5 at the top tier with identical performance.
Bundle Discounts
Rogers bundles with Rogers Wireless save $10-20 per month. Telus bundles with Telus Mobility save $10-20 per month. Savings are comparable. Choose the bundle that matches your mobile carrier.
Pros and Cons
Rogers Advantages
- Fastest cable downloads in Canada (2.5 Gbps on DOCSIS 3.1)
- $10 cheaper at entry level ($75 vs $85)
- Wider Western Canada cable coverage post-Shaw acquisition
- Ignite WiFi 6E gateway and free WiFi pods on Gigabit+ plans
- Rogers Wireless bundles for multi-product savings
- Ignite TV with Sportsnet, CityTV, and cloud PVR
Rogers Disadvantages
- Upload speeds limited to 30-100 Mbps on cable (vs Telus 150-3000 Mbps)
- Peak-hour congestion slows cable 10-25% during evenings
- Higher latency (15-25ms) versus Telus fiber (5-12ms)
- July 2022 nationwide outage damaged reliability reputation
- 24-month contracts with $10-20 price increases after promo
- Cable technology shares bandwidth with neighbors
Telus Advantages
- Symmetrical fiber uploads (150-3000 Mbps upload equals download)
- No peak-hour congestion on fiber (dedicated bandwidth per home)
- Lower latency (5-12ms) better for gaming and video calls
- 3 Gbps fiber at $145 is $5 cheaper than Rogers equivalent
- Consistent speeds 24/7 with no evening slowdowns
- Telus Mobility bundles for comparable savings to Rogers
Telus Disadvantages
- $10 more expensive at entry level ($85 vs $75)
- No cable equivalent to Rogers 2.5 Gbps download tier
- Fiber installation can take 2-6 weeks in new developments
- Limited coverage outside BC and Alberta (no meaningful Ontario presence)
- Customer service hold times 20-40 minutes
- 3 Gbps plan requires 10G ethernet hardware ($200-600 extra)
Which Should You Choose?
The choice between Rogers and Telus depends on how you use your internet. Downloads favor Rogers cable. Uploads favor Telus fiber.
| Use Case | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Remote work / video calls | Telus | 500+ Mbps upload vs Rogers 20-30 Mbps |
| Content creation | Telus | Symmetrical upload for YouTube, Twitch |
| Cloud backup | Telus | 100 GB uploads in minutes vs hours on Rogers |
| Competitive gaming | Telus | 5-12ms latency vs Rogers 15-25ms |
| Large game downloads | Rogers | 2.5 Gbps cable downloads faster |
| 4K streaming household | Either | Both exceed streaming requirements |
| Budget entry plan | Rogers | $75 vs Telus $85 |
| Best gigabit value | Telus | Same $115 price with 33x faster uploads |
| Rogers Wireless customer | Rogers | Bundle savings $10-20/month |
| Telus Mobility customer | Telus | Bundle savings $10-20/month |
How to Run a Fair Speed Test
Rogers cable and Telus fiber use different technologies, so testing methodology matters. Follow these steps.
- Connect your device directly to the gateway via ethernet cable.
- For plans above 1 Gbps, use a 2.5G or 10G ethernet adapter (standard ports cap at 940 Mbps).
- Close all background apps, streaming, VPN, and cloud sync.
- Run 3 tests during off-peak hours (morning) and 3 during peak hours (7-11 PM).
- Compare download, upload, and latency for each test.
- Rogers users should pay attention to peak-hour results since cable speeds can drop 10-25% during evenings.
- Telus fiber should show consistent results regardless of time tested.
Upload speed is where the biggest difference appears. Run upload tests separately if you work from home or create content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Telus fiber faster than Rogers cable?
For downloads, Rogers cable can be faster (2.5 Gbps cable vs Telus 3 Gbps fiber). For uploads, Telus is dramatically faster. Telus Gigabit delivers 1000/1000 Mbps while Rogers Gigabit delivers 1000/30 Mbps. If you measure “speed” as both download and upload combined, Telus fiber wins.
Does Rogers cable slow down at night?
Yes. Rogers cable uses shared DOCSIS 3.1 infrastructure where 50-200 homes share bandwidth on a single node. During peak evening hours (7-11 PM), speeds typically drop 10-25% from daytime levels. Telus fiber has dedicated bandwidth per home with no shared node, so speeds remain consistent at all hours.
Can I get Telus fiber in Ontario?
Telus has very limited Ontario presence. Only select Toronto neighborhoods (Liberty Village, downtown core) and parts of Ottawa have Telus fiber. Most Ontario addresses cannot access Telus. Bell and Rogers are the primary Ontario providers. Check telus.com with your address to confirm availability.
Which is better for gaming?
Telus fiber is better for competitive gaming due to lower latency (5-12ms vs Rogers 15-25ms). The 10-15ms difference is noticeable in fast-paced games. For casual gaming and game downloads, Rogers 2.5 Gbps cable downloads large games faster. For the best overall gaming experience, Telus fiber wins on latency and upload stability.
Should I switch from Shaw to Telus?
If you were a Shaw cable customer (now Rogers), switching to Telus PureFibre gives you symmetrical uploads and no peak-hour congestion. The trade-off is potentially higher pricing ($85+ vs Shaw promotional rates) and a fiber installation wait of 2-4 weeks. If you work from home or need fast uploads, Telus fiber is worth the switch.
Summary
Rogers and Telus represent the cable versus fiber debate in Western Canada. Rogers cable delivers faster raw downloads (2.5 Gbps) at lower entry pricing ($75 per month). Telus fiber delivers symmetrical speeds with dramatically faster uploads (33 times faster at gigabit tier), lower latency (5-12ms vs 15-25ms), and no peak-hour congestion.
For most users, the decision comes down to upload needs. If you work from home, create content, or use cloud services heavily, Telus PureFibre is the clear choice. If you primarily download, stream, and game casually, Rogers cable offers strong value at a lower price.
At gigabit tier, both charge $115 per month. At that same price, Telus delivers 1000/1000 Mbps while Rogers delivers 1000/30 Mbps. For equal money, Telus provides far more balanced performance.
Test your current speed at Rogers Speed Test or Telus Speed Test.
Last Updated: February 12, 2026 Data Sources: Rogers.com, Telus.com, CRTC Communications Monitoring Report, Rogers and Telus investor relations