oxio vs. Bell

Bell's network is fine. The bill is the problem.

We're not going to pretend Bell's fibre is bad. It isn't. The issue people write about is what happens to the price after they sign: Bell applied a $6 monthly increase to many internet plans on March 1, 2026, and for some customers it was the second or third increase in under a year [1].

Bell also owns more of the "cheaper alternatives" than most people realize: Virgin Plus, EBOX, Distributel, Primus and Oricom are all in the Bell group [2]. Switching between them often keeps you inside the same company.

What switching to oxio changes

oxio is a different company on a different network: it rents cable lines (Cogeco, Vidéotron or Rogers, depending on your area) rather than Bell's fibre [6]. There's no term contract [5], and activation, installation and shipping are $0 with the modem lent at no charge [4].

If you're on a Bell term, check the end date on your agreement before you switch. Then keep Bell running until oxio is live, and return Bell's equipment through Bell's own process so it doesn't turn into an unreturned-equipment charge.

What customers say publicly

Review sites skew toward people with a problem, so read this as what goes wrong when it does.

• Trustpilot1.3 / 5(2,735 reviews) Most common themes: long holds and being transferred between departments, price increases during a term, charges for add-ons customers say they did not agree to, and missed or botched technician visits. [3]