The arrival of a new fiber-optic service in Barrie is sparking new competition in a telecom market long dominated by a national oligopoly.
Joined by local dignitaries, telMAX officially broke ground in Barrie Thursday in the Holly neighbourhood. However, the company's expansion within the city began in August.
"Barrie is underserved from a competitive point of view in terms of internet services," telMAX president and CEO Michael Strople said to Barrie360. "Barrie has great demographics and it was an obvious spot for us to continue our expansion."
The city is the seventh municipality the Markham-based company has brought its services to after beginning operations in the Greater Toronto Area in 2021. By next year, telMAX hopes to go toe-to-toe with the 'big three' in Barrie.
"There are a few small players like us," Strople says. "We've been doubling our service footprint each year. We expect to continue to do that and see continued success, but competition in the internet space in Canada is interesting."
Strople adds that once the project is completed in 2026, telMax's service will cover around 75 per cent of the city's residences and businesses, with potential for further expansion. He adds that two thirds of the build is expected to be completed by Christmas.
"The reality is there is lawns being cut up and services being put in," Nuttall adds. "When this particular build is done, what you get left with is lower prices and better service. So, it is short-term pain here that will inevitably end in a long-term gain."
The company prides itself on connectivity, and offers internet, television, and phone services, but its bread and butter is internet. It claims the fastest speeds in Canada and a strong price point that it thinks give it a 'competitive edge.'
Another advantage telMAX claims is using its own fibre network to deliver speeds up to 4 gigabits per second, rather than providing its service through outdated equipment. For reference, Rogers' maximum upload speed is 2.35 Gbps, while Bell's fiber-optic service speed is 3 Gbps.
"When we think about connectivity, it isn't just about internet access, it's about opportunity," says telMAX CRO Bradley Fisher. "It's about how students learn, how businesses grow, how families stay connected and how communities evolve."
"It makes a lot of sense and when you consider that most of the city of Barrie has homes that have multiple children, or teenagers, or even young adults from university or college," Mayor Alex Nuttall said to Barrie 360. "The bandwidth is needed and the product is really important."
