Telus PureFibre Home Phone Setup Guide and Canadian Internet Options

Internet Access Options in Canadian Cities

Residents in major Canadian cities have a wide range of internet service options. Here's a breakdown of the main types and providers:

Types of Internet Access Available

1. Cable Internet
   • Speed: High (up to 1.5 Gbps in many areas)
   • Common Providers: Rogers, Videotron, Shaw (now part of Rogers)
   • Best for: Streaming, gaming, households with multiple users
2. Fibre Optic Internet
   • Speed: Very high (up to 8 Gbps in some locations)
   • Common Providers: Bell Fibe, Telus PureFibre, Allstream, Beanfield (in select areas)
   • Best for: Heavy users, businesses, tech-savvy households
   • Note: Availability may vary even within cities
3. DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
   • Speed: Moderate (up to 100 Mbps, typically lower)
   • Common Providers: Bell, TekSavvy, Distributel
   • Best for: Budget-conscious users, basic needs
4. Fixed Wireless
   • Speed: Varies (typically 25–100 Mbps)
   • Common Providers: Xplore (formerly Xplornet), rural-focused ISPs
   • Best for: Urban edge or semi-rural areas
5. 5G / Mobile Internet
   • Speed: Fast (theoretical speeds >1 Gbps with 5G)
   • Common Providers: Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fizz (in Quebec)
   • Best for: Temporary use, mobile users, small households
6. Satellite (e.g., Starlink)
   • Speed: Decent (50–250 Mbps)
   • Best for: Rural or remote edge of big cities; generally not used in urban cores due to better options

Major Providers in Big Cities

Typical Costs (2025 Estimates)

• Budget DSL: $35–$60/month (up to 50 Mbps)
• Cable or Fibre: $60–$120/month (100 Mbps to 1 Gbps+)
• Unlimited data: Usually standard now, but some budget plans may cap usage

Tips for Choosing

• Check availability by address – Fibre might be on one block but not the next.
• Watch for promos – First 12-month discounts are common.
• Avoid overpaying for speed – 300–500 Mbps is more than enough for most homes.
• Independent ISPs – Like TekSavvy or Start.ca offer good service and customer support, often at lower prices.

Setting Up Household Fibre Internet

To set up a household fibre internet connection, you'll need specific equipment, some provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and some potentially purchased or rented.

Required Equipment for Fibre Internet at Home

1. ONT (Optical Network Terminal)
   • What it does: Converts the incoming fibre optic signal into an Ethernet signal your home network can use.
   • Where it's installed: Usually on an interior wall close to where the fibre line enters your home (basement, utility room, etc.).
   • Provided by ISP? Yes, this is almost always installed and maintained by the ISP (e.g., Bell, Telus).
2. Router (Wi-Fi Router)
   • What it does: Distributes the internet connection wirelessly (or via Ethernet) to your devices.
   • Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E is recommended for modern high-speed fibre plans.
   • Buy or rent? You can rent from your ISP (common, easy support) or buy your own (better long-term value and performance).
3. Ethernet Cables (Cat 5e, Cat 6, or Cat 6a)
   • What it does: Connects your ONT to your router, and optionally from the router to wired devices (PC, gaming console, etc.).
   • Recommendation: Use Cat 6 or Cat 6a to support Gigabit+ speeds.

Optional but Useful Items

Installation Process Overview

1. Fibre Drop Installed: Fibre optic line brought to your home from the street (a technician usually does this).
2. ONT Installed: Mounted indoors where the fibre enters.
3. Router Connected: Connected to the ONT via Ethernet.
4. Wi-Fi Setup: Name your network and set passwords.

Example: Bell Fibe Setup

• ONT: Installed by Bell technician
• Home Hub (modem/router): Can be rented or replaced with your own compatible router
• Wall jack / Fibre termination box: Installed on exterior and interior wall

POTS Over Fibre in Canada

POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) over Fibre, also known as VoIP over fibre or POTS replacement, is an increasingly common setup as traditional copper telephone lines are phased out in favour of fibre infrastructure.

Key Concepts

What Happens When Fibre Replaces Copper?

• Traditional copper-based POTS lines (analog) are being decommissioned.
• When fibre is installed, your phone service becomes digital, delivered over IP via the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) or a VoIP adapter.
• This is usually referred to as “Fibe Home Phone” (Bell), “Digital Phone” (Rogers), or “Home Phone with Fibre” (Telus).

Equipment for POTS over Fibre

How the Phone Line Works Over Fibre

1. Phone signal is carried digitally over the fibre line.
2. ONT has a phone port (RJ11) where you plug in your house wiring or a phone directly.
3. ISP provides a VoIP service that mimics the functionality of a traditional landline, including:
   • 911 calling
   • Call display
   • Voicemail
   • Call forwarding, etc.

What About Power Outages?

Fibre-based phone services do not work during a power outage unless you have a battery backup for the ONT and modem/router. Bell and Telus sometimes offer a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) that gives 4–8 hours of power for emergency use. You can also use a standard Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for both ONT and router.

Pros and Cons of POTS over Fibre

What About Using 3rd-Party VoIP Instead?

If you don't want to use the ISP's voice service, you can:

• Use a service like Ooma, VoIP.ms, MagicJack, or Fongo.
• Get an ATA device (e.g., Grandstream, Obihai) to connect your regular phones.

These services may be cheaper, but:

• You manage 911 registration manually.
• Reliability may depend on your own router and internet connection quality.

Telus Fibre Home Phone Setup

When you get Telus PureFibre, your home phone service is delivered digitally over that fibre connection (VoIP). This replaces traditional analog POTS lines and runs through Telus equipment in your home.

Equipment Required (Telus)

1. Telus ONT (Optical Network Terminal)
   • Installed in your utility room or near where the fibre line enters the home.
   • Has ? RJ11 phone jacks for analog phones.
   • One jack usually connects to your home's internal phone wiring (if needed).
2. Telus Wi-Fi Hub / Modem (optional for phone service)
   • Required only if bundling with internet; the phone service connects directly via ONT.
   • May have a phone jack as well, depending on the model.
3. Analog Phone or Cordless Base Station
   • Plugs into ONT or wall jack.
   • Can distribute dial tone to all phone jacks in the house (if rewired properly).
4. Battery Backup (UPS or BBU)
   • Not included by default.
   • Required to keep phone line working in power outages (for 911 access). ⚡
   • Can power:
     • ONT (critical)
     • Wi-Fi Hub (optional unless VoIP goes through it)
     • Cordless phone base (if not using an old-style wired phone)

Battery Backup Options

Telus no longer includes a dedicated Battery Backup Unit (BBU) by default. Instead, they recommend you install a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) if you want backup phone service.

Recommended Setup:

Telus ONT Phone Port Setup

• Telus tech will plug your phone line into a jack labeled "TEL 1" on the ONT.
• They can also connect the ONT to your home's phone wiring if you want to use phones throughout the house (legacy jacks).
• You don't need a separate VoIP box or ATA — Telus manages the conversion at the ONT.

Important Notes About 911 and Power Failures

• 911 does not work if power is out and your ONT/router/phone don't have backup power. ⚡
• Telus recommends using a corded phone (not cordless) for reliability in emergency situations.

Suggested Shopping List (if buying your own gear)

TL;DR – Quick Setup Summary

• Fibre installed → ONT installed → Telus plugs phone into ONT
• Use any analog phone (corded preferred for emergency)
• Add UPS if you want service during power outages ⚡
• No need for ATA or special VoIP gear with Telus

Diagram and UPS Recommendations

Diagram: Telus PureFibre Home Phone Setup

The diagram illustrates the Telus PureFibre Home Phone setup. It begins with the [Fibre Line from Street] connecting to the [ONT Box]. Inside the box is the Telus ONT, which has three main connections:

• Fibre In: Connects via a fibre optic cable.
• TEL1 Out: Connects to an RJ11 phone jack.
• Ethernet: Connects to a Router/Wi-Fi Hub (if internet is used).

From the ONT's phone connection, the signal can go to a [Corded Phone] or connect to the [RJ11 Home Wiring], which distributes the dial tone to [Multiple Phone Jacks in House]. If a cordless phone base is used, it should be plugged into the ONT or a home jack and also connected to a UPS.

UPS (Battery Backup) Recommendations for Telus Fibre Phone

Here are three options based on your needs and budget:

Where to Buy: Best Buy Canada, Amazon.ca, Staples, or Telus themselves (for router power packs).

Setup Tips

• Plug your ONT's power adapter into the UPS.
• Also plug in your corded phone or cordless base station if needed.
• Don't overload the UPS with things like TVs or computers — it's for essential telecom use only.
• You can test by unplugging power to your house briefly — the UPS should keep your phone line active.

Python Code for PDF Generation

The following Python code can be used to generate a PDF guide for the Telus Fibre Phone Setup. You will need to install the fpdf library (pip install fpdf).

from fpdf import FPDF

class TelusFibrePhonePDF(FPDF):
    def header(self):
        self.set_font("Arial", "B", 14)
        self.cell(0, 10, "Telus PureFibre Home Phone Setup Guide", ln=True, align="C")
        self.ln(5)

    def chapter_title(self, title):
        self.set_font("Arial", "B", 12)
        self.cell(0, 10, title, ln=True)
        self.ln(2)

    def chapter_body(self, text):
        self.set_font("Arial", "", 11)
        self.multi_cell(0, 8, text)
        self.ln()

pdf = TelusFibrePhonePDF()
pdf.add_page()

pdf.chapter_title("Overview")
pdf.chapter_body(
    "This guide explains how to set up Telus PureFibre home phone (VoIP over fibre) and keep it running during power outages."
)

pdf.chapter_title("Setup Diagram")
diagram = """
[Fibre Line from Street]
    |
[ONT Box]
    |
Telus ONT
    |-- Fibre In --> Fibre optic cable
    |-- TEL1 Out --> RJ11 phone jack
    |-- Ethernet --> Router/Wi-Fi Hub (optional)
    |
    +-- [Corded Phone]
    |       |
    |       [RJ11 Home Wiring]
    |               |
    |               [Multiple Phone Jacks in House]
    |
    +-- (If cordless phone base, connect here and to UPS)
"""
pdf.set_font("Courier", "", 9)
pdf.multi_cell(0, 5, diagram)
pdf.ln()

pdf.set_font("Arial", "", 11)
pdf.chapter_title("Required Equipment")
pdf.chapter_body(
    "1. Telus ONT (installed by Telus)\n"
    "2. Corded or cordless phone\n"
    "3. Optional Telus Wi-Fi Hub (if bundling internet)\n"
    "4. UPS (battery backup) to keep phone line working during power outages"
)

pdf.chapter_title("UPS (Battery Backup) Options")
pdf.chapter_body(
    "• APC Back-UPS 425VA (~$75 CAD): 2–3 hrs runtime for ONT\n"
    "• APC Back-UPS 650VA (~$110 CAD): 4–6 hrs runtime for ONT + cordless base\n"
    "• CyberPower 1000VA (~$150 CAD): 6–10 hrs for ONT + router + phone\n"
)

pdf.chapter_title("Tips")
pdf.chapter_body(
    "- Plug ONT into UPS to maintain phone service during outages\n"
    "- Use a corded phone for 911 access even during blackouts\n"
    "- Avoid plugging unnecessary devices into the UPS"
)

# The original PDF generation code would typically have pdf.output() here.
# For this HTML output, we just show the code.
# pdf.output("Telus_Fibre_Phone_Setup_Guide.pdf")

        

To Run This:

1. Install the fpdf package: pip install fpdf
2. Save the code as telus_guide.py
3. Run it with: python telus_guide.py

This will generate a PDF file named Telus_Fibre_Phone_Setup_Guide.pdf.