Novus Internet Review: A Complete Overview
Novus has quietly built one of the most impressive independent fibre networks in Canada, earning a loyal following among condo and apartment residents throughout Metro Vancouver. This Novus internet review examines the provider’s infrastructure, pricing model, coverage, and how it stacks up against the region’s dominant carriers, Telus and Shaw/Rogers, for households in multi-dwelling buildings across the Lower Mainland.
Unlike the vast majority of Canadian ISPs, Novus owns and operates its own fibre-optic network from the ground up. The company does not resell bandwidth from Bell, Telus, Rogers, or any other carrier. This infrastructure independence gives Novus direct control over network quality, capacity upgrades, and pricing, which explains why the company consistently delivers some of the lowest prices per megabit in the Metro Vancouver market while maintaining strong customer satisfaction scores.
Novus’s focus on multi-dwelling buildings, apartments, condominiums, and townhouse complexes, has allowed it to build dense fibre infrastructure that would be economically impractical in a sprawling single-family-home deployment. This strategic focus means Novus is not available everywhere, but where it is available, the value proposition is exceptionally strong: symmetrical gigabit speeds, unlimited data, no contracts, and pricing that typically undercuts Telus and Rogers by a substantial margin.
Key Takeaway: For Metro Vancouver residents living in Novus-connected buildings, Novus internet represents one of the best value propositions in Canadian broadband, delivering symmetrical fibre speeds up to 2.5 Gbps with unlimited data, no contracts, and a guaranteed 2-year price on its own independent network. Availability is the primary limitation, as service requires the building to have Novus fibre infrastructure installed.
Novus Internet Network and Technology
Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) Network
Novus operates a fibre-to-the-building network that delivers fibre optic cable directly into each residential building on its network, with ethernet or fibre connections extending to individual suites. This architecture provides symmetrical download and upload speeds, meaning customers get the same speed in both directions, a significant advantage for video conferencing, cloud storage, content creation, and any upload-heavy activity.
The Novus network is entirely independent of Telus, Rogers, and Shaw infrastructure. Novus installs, maintains, and upgrades its own fibre lines, ensuring that network congestion and maintenance schedules are under the company’s direct control rather than subject to third-party decisions. This independence is a key reason why Novus can offer competitive pricing without the wholesale margin that reseller ISPs must absorb.
Network Capacity and Speeds
Novus currently offers residential internet plans at 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and 2.5 Gbps, all with symmetrical speeds. The 1 Gbps plan has become the company’s signature offering, frequently promoted at aggressive introductory pricing that has made it one of the most discussed internet deals in Canadian forums like RedFlagDeals. The 2.5 Gbps tier is available in buildings with supporting technology and represents the fastest speed Novus currently offers for residential customers.
Equipment
Novus includes a free WiFi 6 wireless router rental with all internet plans. Because Novus delivers an ethernet handoff to each unit rather than requiring a traditional cable modem, customers who prefer to use their own routers can connect directly without needing any Novus-specific equipment. This flexibility is appreciated by technically inclined customers who prefer custom networking setups, mesh WiFi systems, or specific router brands.
Novus Internet Coverage in Metro Vancouver
Novus service is building-specific rather than neighbourhood-wide. The company must have fibre infrastructure installed in a building before service can be offered to its residents. Novus currently operates in over 1,000 buildings across Metro Vancouver, with continuous expansion into new developments.
Vancouver
Vancouver proper has the highest concentration of Novus-connected buildings, spanning neighbourhoods from Downtown and Yaletown to Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, and the West End. Many of the city’s newer condo developments include Novus as an internet option from move-in day.
Burnaby
Burnaby’s dense residential development around Metrotown, Brentwood, and Edmonds has made it a natural expansion market for Novus. The city has a significant number of connected buildings, particularly in high-rise clusters near SkyTrain stations.
Richmond, Surrey, and Coquitlam
Novus has expanded into Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, New Westminster, North Vancouver, and Port Moody as new residential buildings in these municipalities request fibre service. Availability varies by development, with newer buildings more likely to include Novus infrastructure.
Novus Internet vs Other Metro Vancouver Providers
| Feature | Novus | Telus | Rogers (formerly Shaw) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network Type | Own fibre-to-the-building | FTTH (PureFibre) | HFC Cable and some FTTH |
| Max Residential Speed | 2.5 Gbps symmetrical | 5 Gbps symmetrical | 1.5 Gbps (cable) |
| Upload Speeds | Symmetrical on all plans | Symmetrical on fibre plans | Asymmetrical on cable |
| Contracts | No contracts; 2-year price guarantee | Month-to-month and 2-year terms | Month-to-month and term options |
| Data Limits | Unlimited on all plans | Unlimited on most plans | Unlimited on most plans |
| Availability | Select multi-dwelling buildings only | Broad coverage (houses and buildings) | Broad coverage (houses and buildings) |
| Network Ownership | 100% own infrastructure | 100% own infrastructure | 100% own infrastructure |
Novus competes most directly with Telus PureFibre in Metro Vancouver’s condo market. Telus offers higher maximum speeds at 5 Gbps compared to Novus’s 2.5 Gbps, but Novus typically delivers lower monthly pricing for comparable speed tiers. For the most common residential need, gigabit symmetrical internet, Novus consistently offers among the best value in the Vancouver market. Rogers (which absorbed Shaw’s cable network) provides broad coverage but relies primarily on cable technology with asymmetrical speeds in most buildings.
For residents in buildings where Novus is available, the combination of symmetrical fibre speeds, no contracts, unlimited data, free equipment, and a 2-year price guarantee creates a value proposition that major carriers have difficulty matching. The primary trade-off is flexibility: Novus cannot follow you if you move to a building outside its network.
Who Should Choose Novus Internet
Condo and Apartment Residents in Metro Vancouver
Novus is purpose-built for multi-dwelling living. Residents in connected buildings gain access to fibre-grade internet at prices that frequently undercut Telus and Rogers by significant margins. The no-contract model is particularly suited to the higher mobility of condo renters.
Remote Workers and Content Creators
Symmetrical speeds on all Novus plans make it ideal for video conferencing, cloud uploads, live streaming, and large file transfers. The 1 Gbps symmetrical plan provides professional-grade upload performance at a residential price point.
Value-Conscious Households
Novus’s 2-year price guarantee means customers know exactly what they will pay for the duration of their stay, with no surprise rate increases. The free router, free installation, and no setup fees eliminate the hidden costs that inflate the true price of many competing plans.
How to Switch to Novus Internet
Step 1: Check Building Availability
Visit novusnow.ca and use the building availability checker to confirm that your specific building is on the Novus network. If your building is not yet connected, you can register interest to help prioritize future expansion.
Step 2: Select Your Plan
Choose between Internet 100, Internet 1000, or Internet 2500 based on your household’s speed requirements. Consider adding Novus TV or phone service for a bundled package.
Step 3: Schedule Installation
Novus coordinates installation with building property managers when required. In-house technicians bring the fibre connection to your unit, configure the WiFi router, and verify speeds before completing the appointment. In buildings already wired for Novus, activation can be completed quickly.
Novus Corporate Background
Novus Entertainment was founded in 1996 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a vision to provide fibre-optic broadband as an alternative to the cable and DSL options that dominated the market. The company is part of Concord Pacific Group, one of Canada’s largest urban community developers, which provided both the financial backing and the real estate development relationships needed to build fibre infrastructure into residential buildings across Metro Vancouver.
Novus holds a Class 1 Broadcast Distribution Undertaking licence from the CRTC, enabling it to offer television services alongside internet and phone. The company also operates Novus TV, a local community channel covering Vancouver and Lower Mainland events and programming. In addition to residential services, Novus serves business customers and leases dark fibre to other communications providers, generating revenue that supports continued network expansion.
About This Novus Internet Review
Plangenius.ca provides independent analysis of Canadian internet service providers to help consumers find plans matching their household needs and budget. This Novus internet review reflects current service offerings, network capabilities, and market positioning based on publicly available information and industry analysis.
Novus plan information on Plangenius.ca is updated regularly to reflect current pricing and availability. Plan details, promotional offers, and building availability may change, verify current information on novusnow.ca before purchasing.
Plangenius.ca operates independently and receives no compensation from Novus for this review or plan listings. Our analysis aims to provide accurate, unbiased information helping Canadians navigate internet options effectively.