Connecting Families — $10/month internet
Connecting Families is a federal program that lets eligible families get home internet for $10/month (50 Mbps) or about $20/month (100 Mbps), depending on the provider.
You qualify if:
- You receive the maximum Canada Child Benefit (CCB), OR
- You're a senior receiving the maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada sends invitation letters to eligible households automatically. If you think you should have received one but didn't, contact them.
Participating providers include Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Cogeco, and several smaller ISPs serving Northern Ontario.
TELUS Internet for Good — $30/month
Internet for Good from TELUS gives qualifying low-income families home internet (50 Mbps unlimited) for $30/month with no contract or activation fee.
Eligibility: low-income families with at least one child under 18, single parents, seniors, and people with disabilities — programs vary by audience.
TELUS Mobility for Good — $25/month phone + plan
Mobility for Good offers a free smartphone and a $25/month plan with talk, text, and data — designed for youth aging out of foster care, low-income seniors, and Indigenous women & girls who are survivors of violence.
Rogers Connected for Success
Rogers offers home internet for $10/month (25 Mbps) or $20/month (50 Mbps), plus $35/month wireless plans for residents of subsidized housing or recipients of provincial income assistance and seniors.
Rogers Connected for Success →
Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, Chatr — prepaid alternatives
If you don't qualify for the corporate programs, prepaid carriers offer no-contract plans starting around $15–$25/month. They're owned by the Big 3 (Telus / Bell / Rogers) so coverage in Northern Ontario is similar — including outside major centres.
Free Wi-Fi in Northern Ontario
While you're getting set up, these spots have free public Wi-Fi:
- Public libraries — Thunder Bay Public Library, Greater Sudbury Public Library, Sault Ste. Marie Library, all free
- Tim Hortons, Starbucks, McDonald's — Wi-Fi free with no purchase required at most locations
- Settlement agencies — TBMA, SMFAA, and most multicultural centres have public-use computers
- City centres / community hubs — Greater Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay all have free downtown Wi-Fi zones
Common pitfalls
- Locking into 2-year contracts — most newcomers do, then can't switch when a better deal appears. Ask for no-contract / month-to-month plans.
- Premium home internet you don't need — most newcomer households are fine with 25–50 Mbps. You only need 100+ Mbps if multiple people stream 4K simultaneously.
- Signing up for Internet for Good without checking Connecting Families first — Connecting Families is cheaper if you qualify.
- Cellular roaming charges — call your provider to disable roaming before international travel; it's free.
DON'T LIVE NEAR A SETTLEMENT OFFICE?
Call the regional org for your area.
Settlement workers will register you by phone or video and help you find local supports. There's no requirement to live in the same town as the office — these services are funded for all of Northern Ontario.
- NW Ontario — Thunder Bay, Kenora, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Marathon Thunder Bay Multicultural Association
- Greater Sudbury, Manitoulin, Espanola SMFAA — Sudbury Multicultural & Folk Arts Association
- Algoma — Sault Ste. Marie Sault Community Career Centre
- Nipissing — North Bay, Parry Sound, Timiskaming NOMC — Northeastern Ontario Multicultural Centre
- Cochrane District — Timmins Timmins & District Multicultural Centre
- Hearst, Kapuskasing — French-language services SÉO — Settlement services (Northeast)
Last reviewed: April 2026. Program prices and eligibility update annually — confirm on each provider's official page before applying.