Best Bell MTS Internet Plans for Cities and Rural Manitoba

By Kevin Kearney

Last updated 27 September 2023

In this Guide

Best Value Plan Overall
Cheapest Bell MTS Plan
Best Rural Internet Plan
Frequently Asked Questions

Most Canadians know Bell, but Bell's Manitoba brand, Bell MTS, often confuses consumers. So, what is Bell MTS?

Bell MTS provides Manitoba with fast speeds and low prices. Formerly a regional ISP, MTS was acquired by Bell in 2017 and has become a reliable provider for the metropolitan areas of Winnipeg, Brandon, and Steinbach, as well as more rural areas of the province.

The best Bell MTS internet plan is Fibe 50, which delivers high-speed 50Mbps downloads and 10Mbps uploads on Bell's fibre network. The provider's cheapest plan is Fibe 15, which offers 15Mbps downloads and uploads. If you're looking for an option in stretches of rural Manitoba, you can find options with Bell MTS, but we recommend checking out some plans from Xplore and Starlink, which we'll break down below.

Read on to find the best Bell MTS internet plans for May 2024.

What's happening

WhistleOut Canada watches for trends in the internet industry. Here's what's going on this month:

We've updated our list of the best internet providers in Canada, including several hot deals on high-speed plans.
Starlink is now available in most of Canada, making their satellite internet service an enticing option for remote areas.
We’ve got our eyes on the best cheap internet plans and the best internet plans for students.

Best Bell MTS internet plans

Plan	Best for	Features	Shop this plan
Fibe 50	Overall value	Free modem	$60/month
Fibe 15	Cheap plan	Unlimited downloads	$49.95/month

Best Bell MTS
Internet Plan

You don’t need to be the fastest to be the best, but it helps. Top-tier Bell MTS Fibe plans offer Manitoba’s fastest downloads and uploads. Bell MTS also includes a Wi-Fi 6 modem rental, so you get gigabit network speeds throughout your home.

4.5 out of 5 overall

Fibe 50 | $60/month

Pros: Unlimited downloads, Wi-Fi 6 modem rental included, no contract
Cons: Price and speed depend on address

Bell MTS fibre-optic networks bring incredible download speeds to neighbourhoods throughout most of urban Manitoba. For $60/month, you get a free Wi-Fi 6 Home Hub modem rental, unlimited data usage, and Bell MTS email.

Bell offers faster plans (including speeds up to a blazing 8Gbps) but we've found the pricetags of those options isn't worth it. Most wireless-connected devices in the home can’t go faster than 1Gbps anyway, rendering supposedly groundbreaking speeds useless.

Want to save even more money per month? Bell MTS allows you to bundle your internet with Fibe TV, so you can grab more for less.

View plan

To ensure more exact pricing, be sure to enter your address on the Bell MTS site. From there, they'll be able to show you the plans and prices available near you.

Cheapest Bell MTS
Internet Plan

Cheapest doesn’t always mean the best value, but if you’re looking for the most affordable plan available from Bell MTS, this is it. You still get an always-on internet connection fast enough for light internet users.

4 out of 5 overall

Fibe 15 | $49.95/month

Pros: Widely available in urban areas, no contract, Wi-Fi modem rental included
Cons: Too slow for HD streaming, still expensive compared to third-party ISPs

This plan is Bell MTS’s cheapest option if you just need basic internet connectivity. The download speed of 15Mbps is fast enough for basic web browsing, email, and some video streaming and sufficient for video conferencing with family or coworkers.

This is one of the more most bare-bones plans Bell MTS offers, though it's not the slowest: some MTS plans are as slow as 5Mbps, depending on your location. Bell also includes the cost of the Wi-Fi modem so you can easily connect wireless computers, tablets, smartphones, and televisions.

View plan

There may be more internet providers in your area than you might know about, often with much cheaper plans! Use our internet plan search tool to see which internet providers offer gigabit internet service.

Is Bell the same as Bell MTS? What happened to MTS?

In the ‘90s, the Manitoba government privatized the Manitoba Telephone System (MTS), splitting ownership for many years. In 2017, Bell Canada acquired all of MTS. The rebranded Bell MTS provides home telecom services, including internet, TV, and telephone. New and existing cellular customers subscribing to a new plan must sign up with Bell Mobility.

Xplorne bought many of the wireless assets Bell sold off as part of the acquisition. Today, it offers competitive mobility plans and rural internet options, including 5G service.

Best Rural Internet
IN MANITOBA

One-quarter of the population makes their home in the Manitoba countryside. While Bell MTS offers satellite options to the region, we actually prefer Xplore, the ISP who purchased many of MTS's wireless assets back in 2017.

4.5 out of 5 overall

Satellite 250 | $79.99/month

Pros: High-speed internet without cables, free Wi-Fi modem
Cons: Limited monthly data

Our pick for the best rural internet in Manitoba is from Xplore rather than Bell MTS. Bell MTS offers two satellite plans, with speeds of 25Mbps and 50Mbps, respectively. But we like Xplore's Satellite 250 plan, which offers 25Mbps downloads, 250GB of data, and a free Wi-Fi modem for $79.99/month.

Those speeds aren't fast, but for rural Manitoba, they're a lifesaver, allowing you to browse the web and stream in remote parts of the country where internet was previously impossible to find.

View plan

Interested in seeing what else Xplore has to offer? Check out some of the provider's most popular plans below.

#1	Xplore	Xplore 5G 50 Truly Unlimited Data Fixed Wireless 50/10 Mbps $59.99/mo Go	$59.99/mo	Go
#2	Xplore	Xplore Satellite 350 Satellite 25/1 Mbps $79.99/mo Go	$79.99/mo	Go
#3	Xplore	Xplore LTE 25 Truly Unlimited Data Fixed Wireless 25/5 Mbps $49.99/mo Go	$49.99/mo	Go
#4	Xplore	Xplore LTE 50 Truly Unlimited Data Fixed Wireless 50/10 Mbps $59.99/mo Go	$59.99/mo	Go
#5	Xplore	Xplore LTE 25 Truly Unlimited Data Fixed Wireless 25/5 Mbps $49.99/mo Go	$49.99/mo	Go

Looking for yet another rural internet option for Manitoba? Starlink recently rolled out their satellite internet services in remote areas of the country, including the northern stretches of Manitoba. We've got all the details--including plans, prices, and performance--in our review of the SpaceX-assisted internet provider.

Methodology: How we picked the best Bell MTS plans

WhistleOut audits Bell MTS plans and regularly maintains our data. We reviewed eight plans ranging across DSL, fibre-optic, and fixed wireless technologies. When ranking plans, we consider price, data caps, availability, and speed. We also factor in additional fees, including installation and modem rental. WhistleOut Canada compares Bell MTS plans to each other and similar options from competitive internet providers. We continue to track internet trends and will change these ratings as necessary.

Bell MTS Internet: FAQs

Does Bell MTS have TV and internet packages?

Yes. Bell MTS offers a wide range of telecommunications services to homes and businesses in Manitoba. Customers can choose from high-speed internet, television, phone, and smart home monitoring plans. You can also subscribe to Bell Mobility’s nationwide cellular service plans. Bundle two or more Bell MTS services together to save money and simplify your monthly bill payments.

What kind of plans does Bell MTS offer?

The ultimate home internet service is fibre-optic which can deliver download speeds well over 1Gbps, and upload speeds 10x faster than cable. If fibre isn’t available to you, cable internet still offers download speeds up to 20x faster than DSL. In urban environments where cable service is available, that could be your best choice for ultra-fast downloads from 100Mbps and up. And if fibre and cable are not options in your area, you may need to settle for a DSL plan. Most residences with an old-fashioned home phone line can get DSL service.

How do I log into Bell MTS Mail?

Bell MTS home internet customers can access their free email account at MTSmail.ca. This service includes a custom email address, inbox email management, calendar, address book, and security. There’s no special app or program you need to install since it all works through your web browser.

What Bell MTS internet plan should I get?

The plan you should get depends on your unique needs. Most internet-based activities require a high-speed connection with at least 50Mbps for downloads and 10Mbps for uploads. Those speeds give you enough bandwidth for basic browsing, streaming music, and reliable connectivity.

When there are three or more internet users, consider a plan with at least 100Mbps download speed. Faster internet plans deliver premium video streaming in 4K, low-latency online gaming, and allow multiple family members to work or study from home without video conference buffering issues.

What is my Bell MTS internet speed?

You can find the internet download speed in the plan name. For example, Bell MTS customers with Fibe 50 should expect download speeds up to 50Mbps, with Gigabit Fibe plans delivering download speeds up to 1Gbps (940Mbps, to be exact).

Upload speeds are typically slower than download speeds, except on the top-tier plans that use fibre-optic connections directly to the home. Use WhistleOut Canada’s exclusive bandwidth check to test your current internet service speed.