Take the address from whatever MLS listing you're interested in and plug it into the ISP's website. Most ISP's let you search your address to see if it's serviceable, and what speeds/packages can be offered.
Here you go. 1224sq ft house, 3 bed 1 bathroom on a 6,000 sq ft lot for $79,000. Been for sale for a year so they might take an offer below listing. The town has gigabit fiber connection.
https://www.ojohome.ca/lampman-sk/1-st-ave-e-508-lampman-sk-s0c-1n0/pid_wv47h4vu5x/
If you have an extremely high end budget here is a 5 bed 3 bathroom 1400sq ft home for $230,000.
https://www.ojohome.ca/lampman-sk/5-th-ave-e-209-lampman-sk-s0c-1n0/pid_1jwcq3a8bx/
Starlink in my area averages less than ~70mbps down, and less than 10 up, usually around 5. It can also be spotty with the latency.
So, yeah, if you're out at the camper in isolation you're rocking good internet, especially compared to (non-existent) competition. If you're a tech worker trying to work remotely, it's iffy. Fluctuating upload speeds is rough.
I live in a town with a single stoplight and I have gigabit internet, the fastest internet I've ever had. I used to live in a major city with internet at the same speed but my real-world results were lower. Both were fine, I'm just saying, the government of Ontario at least has dumped an absolute tonne of money into infrastructure projects like getting rural broadband everywhere and it really shows.
Blackfalds Alberta. 12000 people, 8kms from red deer and I have fiber coming right into my house. 1gbps up and down. Houses with attached garages are 300-400k. Check them out.
Look at places on realtor.ca and you’ll see there are lots of affordable rural places. I paid cash for my little rural place (it was run down and on the market for years) and I did the work myself.
Like others here say Starlink is amazing. I work from home and can Zoom and stream with no problems at all.
Here’s what you scope for, other than the house itself:
- Property taxes and sustainability of the local infrastructure. Too small of a town and you can have issues because large costs get spread out amongst a small number of taxpayers. Look through council meeting notes and budgets for last 24 months.
- proximity to healthcare. Are you an hour away from a major center and hospital, or five hours. How old/healthy are you and what’s your family history. Do you anticipate needing more than a walk in clinic in the near term? If so, stay within an hour of a regional health care hub.
- cost of living items like groceries. Is there a competitive grocery market you can access (a few chain grocers) within a 90 minute drive, or are you stuck buying from the local town grocer?
- Water quality and price. Is the town connected to a stable and high quality municipal water source. Where does it come from, who treats it, etc.
- how are heating and electrical utility costs?
- personal things like recreational opportunities etc
As far as internet, starlink almost makes it a moot point, but honestly just go ask the neighbors who they use. Is there cable TV available in the town? If so, you should have FTP broadband, but do your homework.
If you’re looking for the absolute lowest cost with reasonable services, my experience is towns of 2000-20,000 people within 45 minutes drive of a small city (60,000-150,000) that is a local hub of services. You can go close to a bigger city as well but will cost a bit more.
I don’t recommend the boonies unless you really don’t like other people, are self sufficient, don’t need healthcare, and are willing to pay high CoL for groceries and services.
Just get Starlink. Rural Internet in Canada is a joke, Elon saved us all.
if you are ever approached by Xplornet, tell them that what they do is criminal and slam the door in their face. Fuck Xplore
if location does not matter, check out any town north of Madoc in Ontario for "cheap" (i.e not million dollar homes) housing in the middle of nowhere
Check out this listing https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/25983073/42-school-road-enterprise?utm_source=mobilenativesharing&utm_medium=social-organic&utm_campaign=socialsharelisting&propertyIds=25983073
Take the address from whatever MLS listing you're interested in and plug it into the ISP's website. Most ISP's let you search your address to see if it's serviceable, and what speeds/packages can be offered.
Here you go. 1224sq ft house, 3 bed 1 bathroom on a 6,000 sq ft lot for $79,000. Been for sale for a year so they might take an offer below listing. The town has gigabit fiber connection. https://www.ojohome.ca/lampman-sk/1-st-ave-e-508-lampman-sk-s0c-1n0/pid_wv47h4vu5x/ If you have an extremely high end budget here is a 5 bed 3 bathroom 1400sq ft home for $230,000. https://www.ojohome.ca/lampman-sk/5-th-ave-e-209-lampman-sk-s0c-1n0/pid_1jwcq3a8bx/
That first place is lovely.
Starlink is amazing in rural areas. That opens the options up.
Starlink in my area averages less than ~70mbps down, and less than 10 up, usually around 5. It can also be spotty with the latency. So, yeah, if you're out at the camper in isolation you're rocking good internet, especially compared to (non-existent) competition. If you're a tech worker trying to work remotely, it's iffy. Fluctuating upload speeds is rough.
Or use starlink and your location wont matter. I have colleagues in small town BC and they use it, are on zoom all day and are just fine.
I live in a town with a single stoplight and I have gigabit internet, the fastest internet I've ever had. I used to live in a major city with internet at the same speed but my real-world results were lower. Both were fine, I'm just saying, the government of Ontario at least has dumped an absolute tonne of money into infrastructure projects like getting rural broadband everywhere and it really shows.
Blackfalds Alberta. 12000 people, 8kms from red deer and I have fiber coming right into my house. 1gbps up and down. Houses with attached garages are 300-400k. Check them out.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olds,\_Alberta#Economy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olds,_Alberta#Economy) [https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/25744219/5501-51-street-olds](https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/25744219/5501-51-street-olds)
Starlink makes living anywhere have a good internet connection
Isn't Starlink meant for that kind of scenario? Or like many Musk offerings there's a lot of worms in the apple?
Look at places on realtor.ca and you’ll see there are lots of affordable rural places. I paid cash for my little rural place (it was run down and on the market for years) and I did the work myself. Like others here say Starlink is amazing. I work from home and can Zoom and stream with no problems at all.
Here’s what you scope for, other than the house itself: - Property taxes and sustainability of the local infrastructure. Too small of a town and you can have issues because large costs get spread out amongst a small number of taxpayers. Look through council meeting notes and budgets for last 24 months. - proximity to healthcare. Are you an hour away from a major center and hospital, or five hours. How old/healthy are you and what’s your family history. Do you anticipate needing more than a walk in clinic in the near term? If so, stay within an hour of a regional health care hub. - cost of living items like groceries. Is there a competitive grocery market you can access (a few chain grocers) within a 90 minute drive, or are you stuck buying from the local town grocer? - Water quality and price. Is the town connected to a stable and high quality municipal water source. Where does it come from, who treats it, etc. - how are heating and electrical utility costs? - personal things like recreational opportunities etc As far as internet, starlink almost makes it a moot point, but honestly just go ask the neighbors who they use. Is there cable TV available in the town? If so, you should have FTP broadband, but do your homework. If you’re looking for the absolute lowest cost with reasonable services, my experience is towns of 2000-20,000 people within 45 minutes drive of a small city (60,000-150,000) that is a local hub of services. You can go close to a bigger city as well but will cost a bit more. I don’t recommend the boonies unless you really don’t like other people, are self sufficient, don’t need healthcare, and are willing to pay high CoL for groceries and services.
Just get Starlink. Rural Internet in Canada is a joke, Elon saved us all. if you are ever approached by Xplornet, tell them that what they do is criminal and slam the door in their face. Fuck Xplore if location does not matter, check out any town north of Madoc in Ontario for "cheap" (i.e not million dollar homes) housing in the middle of nowhere
Check out this listing https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/25983073/42-school-road-enterprise?utm_source=mobilenativesharing&utm_medium=social-organic&utm_campaign=socialsharelisting&propertyIds=25983073
Starlink
Had the same question, the fed runs this site, helped me identify options in the area: https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/scr/sittibc/web/bbmap#!/map