Oxio Internet Review (2026) – Honest Pros/Cons

Oxio: The Internet Provider That Actually Keeps Its Promises

Oxio makes one promise that no other Canadian ISP makes: the price you sign up at is the price you pay forever. Not for 12 months, not for 24 months, but literally for as long as you keep your plan. In an industry famous for bait and switch promotional pricing, surprise fee increases, and annual rate hikes, that promise alone makes Oxio worth paying attention to.

Founded in 2019 by Université Laval students Marc-André Campagna and Francis Careau, Oxio launched in Quebec City with a simple thesis: the internet should work like a utility, not a commitment. The company raised $40 million in total funding, including a $25 million Series A led by Xavier Niel (the founder of French telecom giant Free), participated in Y Combinator, and expanded rapidly across Canada. In February 2023, Cogeco Connexion acquired Oxio’s telecom operations for $100 million, while the founders spun out the software platform into a separate company called Gaiia.

Today, Oxio operates as an independent brand under Cogeco’s umbrella, serving six provinces with cable and DSL internet. It maintains its digital first approach: no retail stores, no phone support, everything handled online. Plans include an eero WiFi 6 router at no extra cost, unlimited data, no contracts, and a 60 day money back guarantee.

Oxio Plans & Pricing (February 2026)

Oxio’s plans vary by province and by the underlying network at your address (Rogers, Vidéotron, Cogeco, Bell, or Shaw). All prices include an eero WiFi 6 router, unlimited data, free installation, and no contracts. Remember: the price below is the price you pay forever.

Ontario Plans (Rogers/Cogeco Network)

Ontario Cogeco Areas (The Hidden Gem)

If your Ontario address happens to be on Cogeco infrastructure, Oxio offers what might be the best internet deal in Canada: gigabit speed for $50 per month, forever. This is because Cogeco is Oxio’s parent company, which presumably gives Oxio better wholesale economics. Check your address on oxio.ca to see which network you are on.

Quebec Plans (Vidéotron/Cogeco Network)

Western Canada Plans (BC, AB, SK, MB)

Western Canada pricing runs through the Shaw (now Rogers) network. Plan selection and pricing may differ from Ontario and Quebec. Always check your specific address on oxio.ca, as available plans and speeds depend on the underlying infrastructure at your location.

Which Oxio Plan Is Right for You?

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How Oxio Actually Works

Oxio is a wholesale based ISP, meaning it buys access to existing networks from Bell, Rogers, Vidéotron, Cogeco, and Shaw at rates regulated by the CRTC. Your internet runs over the same physical cables as if you were a direct customer of those companies. A few things make Oxio’s approach distinctive.

The Digital-First Model

Everything at Oxio happens online. You order through the website, receive a pre configured eero WiFi 6 router by courier, and self install in most cases. If a technician visit is needed (for new cable activation, for example), Oxio coordinates with the underlying network provider. Your account, billing, troubleshooting, and plan changes are all handled through the Oxio app or online chat. There is no phone number to call for customer support, which is a deliberate choice that keeps costs low and response times (usually) fast.

The Never-Raise-Prices Promise

This is Oxio’s signature feature and it is genuinely unique in Canadian telecom. The price displayed when you sign up is the price you pay for as long as you keep that plan. Oxio has maintained this since 2019 and customer reviews consistently confirm it. There are no promo periods that expire, no annual adjustments, and no sneaky “market rate” increases. Customers who signed up five years ago still pay their original rate. This alone saves the average Canadian household hundreds of dollars per year compared to the Big Three’s constant price hikes.

60-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Oxio offers a full 60 day money back guarantee, which is one of the most generous trial periods in the market. If you are unhappy for any reason within the first two months, you return the equipment and get a full refund. This makes switching essentially risk free.

The Cogeco Story: What the Acquisition Means for You

In February 2023, Cogeco Connexion (Canada’s second largest cable operator in Ontario and Quebec) acquired Oxio’s internet service provider business for $100 million. This was a significant moment for both companies and for the Canadian independent ISP landscape.

For Oxio customers, the acquisition brought stability and resources. Cogeco is a publicly traded company (TSX: CCA) with deep network infrastructure across Ontario and Quebec. Oxio now has the backing of a company with 1.6 million broadband customers and decades of network experience. The Cogeco network areas are where Oxio can offer its most aggressive pricing, like the $50 per month gigabit plan.

For Cogeco, Oxio provided something it badly needed: a digital first brand that appeals to younger, tech savvy customers who would never walk into a cable company retail store. Oxio operates independently under its own brand, maintaining the same pricing model, digital experience, and customer service approach that built its reputation.

The founders (Marc-André Campagna and Francis Careau) spun out Oxio’s proprietary software platform into Gaiia, a separate company that now sells ISP operations software to telecoms globally. Gaiia raised $13 million USD from Y Combinator and other investors, and its customers include Oxio and Cogeco. This means the technology that powers Oxio’s streamlined online experience continues to evolve, even under the new ownership structure.

Coverage: Where Oxio Is Available

Oxio serves six Canadian provinces. Click your region for details.

Customer Service: The Digital-Only Gamble

Here is where we have to be honest. Oxio’s customer service is its most polarizing feature. When it works, it is fast, convenient, and refreshingly modern. When it does not work, it is genuinely infuriating.

What Works Well

Oxio’s online support (text, email, live chat) responds quickly for routine questions, billing inquiries, and simple troubleshooting. The self serve account management through the Oxio app is excellent, letting you monitor usage, manage devices, set parental controls, and change plans. For tech savvy customers who prefer typing over talking, the digital approach is often faster than the 45 minute hold times you would endure with Bell or Rogers. Customer care hours are 8 AM to 7 PM daily, with tech support available until 10 PM.

What Does Not Work Well

When something serious goes wrong, like an outage, equipment failure, or installation problem that needs a technician, the digital only model breaks down. Multiple Trustpilot reviews describe slow response times, chatbot loops that fail to escalate to a real person, technician appointments that do not show up, and difficulty getting urgent issues resolved. The most common complaint pattern is: internet goes down, customer texts Oxio, gets a slow or bot driven response, waits days for a technician that Oxio has to dispatch through the underlying network provider. Some customers report being left without internet for a week or more.

Oxio’s Trustpilot score sits around 3.0 out of 5, which is mixed. PlanHub shows 4.4 out of 5 with over 500 reviews, and Google Reviews shows 4.1 to 4.4. The discrepancy suggests that most customers are happy (PlanHub, Google), while the subset who encounter problems find resolution genuinely difficult (Trustpilot). This is the inherent risk of the digital only model: it works great 90% of the time, and the other 10% can be rough.

Oxio vs Bell & Rogers

The comparison is stark on pricing and transparency. A typical household paying Bell $115 per month for 500 Mbps could switch to Oxio and pay $55 to $65 per month forever for comparable speed on the same underlying infrastructure. That is roughly $600 to $720 per year in savings. The Big Three win on maximum speed tiers, phone support availability, bundling options, and direct network control. For most households, the savings from Oxio are enormous and the trade offs are manageable.

Oxio vs Other Independent ISPs

Among independents, Oxio generally offers the sharpest pricing and best out of box experience (included router, simple setup, stable prices). TekSavvy wins on coverage breadth, phone support, own infrastructure, bundling, and regulatory advocacy. Start.ca is excellent in Ontario with strong phone support. If you are comfortable with digital only support and Oxio serves your address, it is typically the best value. If you want phone support or live outside Oxio’s coverage, TekSavvy is the strongest alternative.

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