Does the CRTC’s Decision About Wholesale Internet Rates Affect Novus Customers?
As a Novus Internet customer, it absolutely does not. As explained below, in order to provide you with the best experience and keep rates low, we own our own network. But first let’s back up a little bit and bring you up to speed in case you haven’t heard about this in the news lately.
Background
In 2019, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ordered that the large incumbent cable and phone companies lower their wholesale Internet rates to independent Internet service providers (ISPs) who piggy back on those companies’ networks to re-sell the Internet service as their own (Novus does not do this). This was a major win for smaller ISPs as it meant that they would be able to lower rates to consumers and be more competitive in the market.
Last week, the CRTC reversed its decision much to the dismay of many independent ISPs across Canada.
The Novus Advantage
So, how does this affect you as a Novus Internet customer? It doesn’t! Since Novus’ inception in 1996, we have invested heavily in building out our very own Fibre Optic network across Metro Vancouver. We do not rely on anyone else’s network to deliver our Internet to you. This is the major difference between Novus and most other, independent ISPs. Even back in 1996, we saw that fibre was the way of the future. We wanted to provide our customers with the best online experience possible and knew that fibre was the only way.
Our headend and facilities are all based right here in Vancouver. We own and maintain them. This has many advantages for you as a customer. One advantage is that if by chance there was an issue with your service, we are able to identify, diagnose and fix the problem quickly and efficiently. Other ISPs who piggy back on major incumbents’ networks are beholden to that company and must wait for them to diagnose the problem before they can even let their customers know what the problem is. Another advantage of owning our own network Is that we can improve on our customer experience by adding new technology and services sooner. We recently launched Western Canada’s fastest, residential Internet – 2.5 GIG as an example. And of course, by owning our own network, we don’t pay any fees to another company. We are able to pass those savings on to you.
As an independent service provider ourselves, we are dismayed at the CRTC’s decision to reverse its decision. We feel that in order for all Canadians (not just our customers) to be able to pay competitive pricing for Internet, the decision to lower wholesale Internet rates would have helped everyone across Canada.
Published: 4:41 pm on May 31st, 2021
How Can Technology Help Me Move?
How Can Technology Help Me Move?
Technology has brought about a great deal of improvement to every sphere of life including moving, which is definitely easier nowadays. Finding recommendations on the best movers in your area, getting help from a moving concierge service or simply being organized are now the norm because of technology.
Technology Can Help You Find the Best Moving Companies
Finding the right company for moving needs can be very difficult. But with technology, it can be done in less than 5 minutes. There are numerous ways by which the best moving companies are accessible, and one way is through online reviews. Online reviews are an excellent approach to finding reputable companies.
A lot of reliable companies always include feedback from their customers regarding their services on their official website. This provides insight into the type of experience customers have received from the company and what you can expect. Comparing quotes from different companies online can help make a better and informed decision when choosing the best moving companies.
How Technology Can Help You Sell Unwanted Belongings
Buying and selling has become really easy with centralized online markets made possible with technology. Using platforms like Facebook Marketplace, anyone can sell their unwanted belongings in two clicks. Several e-markets are also available with little or no cost for the seller at all. If you simply want to donate your unwanted items, there are many charities that will accept your donations before moving.
How Technology Eases Coordination and Organization
It can get messy organizing things when moving. Technology can help ease the process, whether it is managing what has to be done before, during and after your move or doing your budget. You can use a moving checklist for keeping track of everything and helping you prioritize what needs to be done. You can also use mobile apps on your phon to keep a log of your belongings. These apps can help you organize your moving schedule as well as ensure proper coordination.
The Benefits of Technology for Moving Tasks
In recent years, various technologies have been developed to help with moving tasks. Moving concierges are a great example, they accompany you from A to Z in your move. They can do your address changes and even help you find movers and/or storage units.
Before choosing a moving company, it is recommended to get quotes from various companies. A moving concierge can help you with this. If you are looking for a storage unit, they can also direct you to the best storage facility in your area. As for address changes, this task that can normally take many hours to complete but can be done in 5 minutes with their help.
How Technology Helps with Home Staging
With technology, interior decoration and home planning can be done even before getting the keys to your new place. It is now possible by using apps to recreate the interior of your home with the correct dimensions using AI intelligence to analyze your rooms. Once you have the plan for each room, you can get to work with decor and staging.
Conclusion
The importance of technology in the moving industry cannot be overemphasized. It has become a vital part of the moving journey. The evolution of technology will continue to bring more ease to the moving process. If you are moving and would like to transfer your Novus services to your new place, please give us a call and we can assist you in doing that.
Published: 1:34 pm on May 11th, 2021
How to Set Up Your Desk Ergonomically
If you work at a desk for long hours, you want to make sure your desk is set up properly so it’s comfortable and doesn’t bring you neck and back pain! How you arrange your monitor(s), keyboard, the height of your chair/table is crucial to helping your body feel comfortable while working.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you set up your desk ergonomically:
Chair:
Adjust your chair so that your elbows and your legs are bent to 90 degrees. If your elbows are at 90 degrees but your legs aren’t, a foot stool can solve this problem easily!
Monitor:
You want to ensure your monitor is at arms length distance so you can read what is on the screen without having to move from your 90 degrees posture. Not only that, you also want to adjust your monitor height so that the top of the monitor is at eye level. If you are unable to adjust the height of the monitor, you can always add things underneath the monitor to assist with the height.
Working with two monitors? If you work with mainly one screen, it is better to have the primary screen directly in front of you and the secondary screen to the side. If you work with both equally, it’s best that you are in the middle of the two.
Working with a laptop? Look for a stand that can raise it up to the proper height (with other things to raise it even higher if needed) and connect an external keyboard as well as a mouse to keep the 90 degrees in the elbow.
Mouse & Keyboard:
Your mouse and keyboard should be placed exactly where your hands land when you sit down. You don’t want to reach for the things on your desk if you are using them often.
Desk Phone:
If a desk phone is required often, place it on your non writing side to avoid having to talk on the phone with it between your ear and your shoulder, or alternatively look for a headset that you can connect to the phone itself.
Above are basics that you should look out for to ensure your desk is set up ergonomically. Stretches and basic exercises are recommended by experts after 10-15 minutes as we all begin to slouch. Wall Street Journal has some exercises you can do at your desk to keep your posture in check here. (In Step 5 starting at 2:27)
Source: Mayo Clinic & Wall Street Journal
Published: 4:17 pm on April 14th, 2021
Optimizing Your Bandwidth
We’re here to talk about how to maximize and optimize your bandwidth. But first off, what is bandwidth? Bandwidth and internet speed are often mixed up and cause confusion for people.
Bandwidth is the amount of information or data that you receive in a measured amount of time – calculated in megabits per second (Mbps).
Think of a bathtub faucet with a wide opening, more water can flow into the tub at a much faster rate than if the opening is small. The water would represent bandwidth and the rate of the water flowing out would represent internet speed.
Below are some tips that you can use to help optimize your bandwidth when you are at home:
1. Manage your streaming services
Streaming has become one of the major online traffic sources, you want to make sure that you don’t have devices streaming in the background as it does eat up the bandwidth and slow down the other devices you are using. Slower connection may result in watching things in a lower setting.
2. Adjusting your device and app settings
It’s also a good idea to ensure that you adjust your settings. Oftentimes your devices would have apps or software running in the background that are using up unnecessary bandwidth – as mentioned in a previous blog post, you want to make sure you close down those background applications.
3. Rebooting your router or modem
Giving your internet device a reboot will allow it to refresh the memory. Just like us! We need a good night’s sleep to rest up, so does the router. You can find out more details as to why it is important to reboot your devices from time to time in one of our previous blog posts.
4. Upgrading device or internet package
If you have increased your usage online and have more devices at home that require high-capacity activities, then you may want to look into upgrading your router or modem to ensure it is able to handle the heavier traffic. Alternatively it might not hurt to look into getting a higher tier internet package more suitable for your online activity needs.
We hope the above tips are useful and that it helps you understand the difference between bandwidth and speed. Should you have any questions or concerns, be sure to check out our support page first, otherwise we are available for Tech Support at 604.642.6688 or send us a direct message on Facebook/Twitter!
Source: Verizon & Citywest
Published: 5:11 pm on February 9th, 2021
What’s Managed WiFi?
Your Novus Internet service includes Unlimited Data and Symmetrical Speeds. But did you know that your Novus Internet service also includes Managed WiFi when using the router that we provide? Here’s what that means and some benefits as to why we suggest to use our router with our internet service versus using your own:
- When you are having issues with your internet, having our router will significantly increase the chances of us helping you remotely over the phone. Either to fix the problem on the spot or at least identify the problem.
- While in the process of identifying the problem, tests and monitoring may be required – using our router will give our administrators access to see further back end issues and/or do more in depth testing to resolve your issue.
- *Since we have access to the router remotely, we can assist you in changing your WiFi name and password if it is needed.
*If you prefer to make changes to your WiFi name and password yourself but don’t know how? You can check out our support page here.
Got more questions or having other issues? Be sure to check out our support page first, otherwise we are available for Tech Support at 604.642.6688 or send us a direct message on Facebook/Twitter!