Frequently Asked Questions
How will the roll out occur and how can you ensure it isn’t a painful process?
- If you are a current Shaw residential internet customer with a Hitron Modem, there will be a seamless transition. As of 1 May 2021, you will have 300 Mbps Shaw Bulk Internet Service, and your current Shaw residential internet billing will automatically end.
- If you are a current Shaw residential internet customer with a BlueCurve Modem, you will receive an email in April about a process for swapping the BlueCurve Modem for a Hitron Modem. This is because Shaw Bulk Internet Service requires a Hitron Modem. As of 1 May 2021, you will have 300 Mbps Shaw Bulk Internet Service, and your current Shaw residential internet billing will automatically end.
- If you are not a current Shaw residential internet customer, we recommend ending any non-Shaw internet service by 1 May 2021. As of that date, you will have 300 Mbps Shaw Bulk Internet Service. You will receive an email in April about how Shaw will provide your new Hitron Modem.
What if my current internet speed is higher than 300 Mbps?
300 Mbps is the highest internet speed currently available using the Shaw Bulk Internet Service. Both Shaw and UBC IT Services advise that this speed is normally more than sufficient for home and research use for families. There are 41 existing Shaw internet clients that currently use an internet package with a higher speed than 300 Mbps, and they will revert to the 300 Mbps offered through Shaw Bulk Internet Service. If any Resident wants to stay with their non-Shaw service or maintain their existing Shaw internet with speeds above 300 Mbps, they are able to do so at their own expense.
What if I have initial issues with the transition to the new Shaw 300 Mbps Bulk Internet Service?
UBC Student Housing has a specific representative at Shaw who helps us work through issues. Our experience has shown that issues with Shaw internet service are infrequent and can be addressed in a timely manner.
What if I have issues sometime later after the Shaw 300 Mbps Bulk Internet Service has been running for some time? Who do I contact?
You can contact Shaw anytime with issues, and it will be resolved in the same way that issues are resolved with other Shaw clients.
If I am a new Shaw customer how will I initialize their service? After May 1 2021, when a current Resident leaves and a new Resident moves in, how will the new Resident initialize service?
There is a reset button on the back of the Hitron modem, and there is a sticker with the SSID, network name and password. Each Resident can therefore set up their own secure password. And when a new Resident moves in, they can reset the modem back to the default and then set up a password of their choosing.
Do I need to register my internet account?
No you do not. Shaw will put each account in the UBC name.
You mention that anyone can maintain their existing Shaw Bulk Cable TV service at a preferential rate? What are those preferential rates and how would the fee be charged?
In the coming weeks UBC Student Housing will ask Residents if they want to keep their existing Shaw Bulk Cable TV service at a monthly cost of $47. For Residents who choose to continue this service, the additional $47 fee will commence for May 2021 and will be added monthly to their Student Housing account.
What if I have concerns?
Please reach out to Residence Life Manager Emma Chartrand who will help to troubleshoot any issues that may arise and get the right people involved to assist you.
Survey Results
How many Residents participated in the Bulk Internet and Bulk Cable TV Survey?
There were 248 responses from the 625 Units at Acadia Park.
How many Residents preferred having internet instead of cable TV?
76% preferred internet service alone.
16% indicated they want both internet and cable TV.
7% indicated they would prefer to keep Cable TV.
1% did not answer the question.
What is the current download speed of your current home internet service?
82% was 300 Mbps or below.
17% answered higher than 300 Mbps.
1% gave no answer.
If Acadia Park showed a strong preference for Bulk Internet instead of Bulk Cable TV what is your interest in cable TV?
65% indicated they were not interested in cable TV.
32% indicated they were still interested in cable TV and appreciated if UBC could secure preferential rates.
3% indicated they were still interested in cable TV and did not require UBC Student Housing’s assistance.
Survey Comments & Responses
“I have an existing internet contract with Shaw and leaving would involve a penalty.”
The Shaw Bulk Service division will work with the Shaw Retail Service division to ensure the internet transition is relatively seamless and there are no penalties.
“I have an existing internet contract [no service provider indicated by the person making the comment] and leaving would involve a penalty.”
UBC will work with Residents who have an internet contract with other providers to ensure to the degree possible they are not adversely impacted by the change to Shaw 300 Mbps Bulk Internet service.
“Internet speeds keep increasing, so what will happen if they continue to increase in the future?”
UBC Student Housing and Shaw have agreed to review internet speeds after 3 years to ensure they meet the needs of Acadia Park Residents. Both parties believe the 3-year time horizon is sufficient for 300 Mbps internet speed. By example, a few years back UBC Student Housing’s first contract with Shaw Bulk Internet involved 15 Mbps download speeds and when this became too slow both parties agreed to increase the download speed.
“Why have you not done this sooner?”
Until recently competition was not robust enough to allow for UBC Student Housing to negotiate a cost effective Bulk Internet Service deal. Additionally, the recent increases in Bulk Cable TV rates because of increased costs from cable networks made the substitution for Bulk Internet Service worth considering.
“Thank you for looking at this. Internet is critically important to UBC students, especially Masters and PHD students.”
Thank you for your support and feedback that has made this change possible. We hope you are excited as we are about this initiative.