Tag: referral code

Last updated: April 2026 | Author: Harold Phillips

Key Takeaways

• Oxio is a Canadian internet service provider offering month-to-month plans with no contracts and no hidden fees
• Plans start around $45/month; pricing varies by speed tier and province
• Referral code RWQ2GOC gets your first month free, roughly $50 in value depending on your plan
• I've been an Oxio customer for several years and have personally referred over 200 people; it's the internet service I recommend most often

What Is Oxio?

Oxio is a Canadian ISP that operates as a wholesale reseller. They don't own physical infrastructure, but they buy access to existing fibre and cable networks and sell plans directly to consumers. In Ontario, that's primarily Bell's network. In Quebec, it's Videotron. Think of it the same way you'd think of Fizz or TekSavvy: the lines running into your building are the same ones the big carriers use, but you're not paying for a Bay Street office tower or a sports sponsorship deal on top of your monthly bill.

The pitch is straightforward: no contracts, no rate hike after a promotional period, no modem rental fee hidden inside a vague "equipment charge." What you sign up for is what you pay, and if that's going to change, Oxio is supposed to tell you. In practice, that's held up in my experience, which is more than I can say for every ISP I've dealt with over the years.

They currently serve customers in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia, though urban availability is much stronger than rural. More on that below.

Oxio Referral Code: RWQ2GOC

Using a referral code at sign-up gets you your first month of service free. On most plans, that's around $50. The process is about as simple as it gets.

No minimum commitment required to get the discount. You can cancel after month one if you decide it's not for you, and you haven't lost anything. That said, most people don't cancel. The price difference from what they were paying before is usually significant enough that it's an easy decision.

I want to be upfront: I receive a reward when someone signs up using my code. That said, I was sending people to Oxio before I even knew they had a referral program. I'd already told several friends and coworkers to check it out by the time I noticed I had credits accumulating in my account. A lot of them.

Pricing and Plans

Pricing depends on your province and the specific infrastructure available at your address. The numbers below are approximate starting prices for Ontario. Your quote may be slightly different.

Quebec tends to come in a bit lower because Videotron's infrastructure creates more competitive wholesale pricing. Alberta and BC options are more limited right now.

One thing worth knowing: there are no activation fees beyond what's listed, and you can change your plan month-to-month without a penalty. Want to downgrade in the summer when your cottage is pulling half your household's bandwidth? You can. Upgrade when you move to a larger place? Also fine. This should be standard practice across the industry. It isn't.

Pros and Cons

Oxio vs TekSavvy

TekSavvy is the most commonly cited alternative when people are shopping for indie ISPs, so this is the comparison I get asked about most.

TekSavvy has broader coverage. They're in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which Oxio isn't. Their customer support also has a stronger reputation, partly because they've been operating longer and have actual phone support. For most people in Toronto, Ottawa, or Montreal, the day-to-day experience is comparable. But if you're in a smaller city or a mid-sized Ontario town, check TekSavvy first. They may have better availability where Oxio doesn't.

The referral program is the honest differentiator. TekSavvy doesn't have one. If first-month-free means something to you, that tilts the decision toward Oxio for people where both are equally available.

Oxio vs Bell

This is the comparison most Ontario customers are actually making when they consider Oxio, because Bell is the network Oxio resells, and a lot of people switching to Oxio are switching from Bell.

The catch with the Bell comparison is that Bell's promotional pricing looks competitive on paper. $69.95/month for 150 Mbps is a number I've seen on their flyers. What they're less upfront about is that it's a 24-month promotional rate that jumps significantly after the first year or two, and there's a cancellation fee if you want out before the contract ends. Oxio's $65/month for the same speed tier is just $65/month. Forever, until you choose to leave.

The one area where Bell wins cleanly is support. If you need a technician dispatched urgently, or your internet goes down on a Sunday evening and you need it fixed by Monday morning for a client call, Bell can move faster. That's a real advantage for some people.

My Experience with Oxio

I switched to Oxio back in 2019, right around the time I was rethinking several things about how I was spending money. That's also the year I finally opened a proper RRSP, ditched TD, and realized I'd been paying Rogers about $95/month for 100 Mbps internet. The math on that last one still bothers me.

The switch itself was fine, mostly. I brought my own modem — I'd done a bit of research and bought a compatible one outright, which I'd recommend — so the installation was just about scheduling a technician and waiting. The appointment window was 8 AM to noon. The technician showed up at 11:40. Beans had knocked my coffee off the desk twice by the time anyone arrived. That kind of appointment window is an industry-wide problem, not specific to Oxio, but it's still annoying.

Once it was up and running, though, the connection has been reliable. I work a hybrid schedule and I'm on video calls most weekday mornings. In several years as an Oxio customer, I've had maybe two or three noticeable outages. One of those coincided with a broader Bell network issue in my area that hit multiple ISPs. I've checked enough community boards over the years to know that's about as good as you can expect from any ISP in this city.

The referral piece happened kind of accidentally. I was telling people about Oxio the same way I'd tell someone about any service I genuinely used. A coworker mentioned they were thinking about leaving Rogers, I said I'd switched to Oxio and was paying $55 instead of $90, they asked how to sign up. Eventually I thought to check my referral account and found I'd sent a lot of people that way without really keeping track. More than 200 referrals accumulated over several years. Those credits stack up. It's a big part of why this blog exists.

One real complaint, and I want to be direct about this: Oxio's customer support is slow. When I had a billing discrepancy to sort out last year, the resolution took about 48 hours over email and chat. For a billing question, that's annoying. For an actual service outage you need fixed today, that timeline is a genuine problem. Their support has improved from what it was a few years ago (I remember the early days being genuinely rough) but it's still not what you'd get from a big carrier. If you're someone who needs to be able to call a phone number and get a human immediately, Oxio isn't the right fit.

The app and account portal are fine. Nothing impressive, but functional. You can check usage, update payment info, and change your plan without running into dead ends. I'm on Android so I'm not sure how the iOS version compares; that's a gap in my knowledge I can't honestly speak to.

My partner keeps teasing me about the spreadsheet I used to first track referral credits. ("You made a spreadsheet for your free internet." "It was a simple spreadsheet." "You named it.") Fair. But several years of essentially free or heavily discounted internet is hard to argue with.

For more on Canadian internet and mobile alternatives, the Fizz Mobile Review covers their service if you're in Quebec and want to compare your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Oxio available in my province?

Oxio currently operates in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia. Coverage is concentrated in urban centres: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver. Rural and smaller-city availability is more limited. The fastest way to check is to enter your address on the sign-up page; it takes 30 seconds and doesn't require creating an account.

How does the Oxio referral code work?

Enter code RWQ2GOC during sign-up, or use the link at referralmaxxing.ca/go/oxio and it applies automatically. Your first month of service is credited on your first invoice. You pay nothing for month one. There's no minimum commitment.

Does Oxio use Bell's network?

In Ontario, yes. Oxio resells on Bell's infrastructure, which means the actual fibre or cable running to your building is Bell's. This is normal for resellers; TekSavvy does the same thing. In Quebec, Oxio uses Videotron's network. The practical effect is that your connection quality is largely determined by whatever Bell (or Videotron) infrastructure looks like in your specific neighbourhood.

Is there a contract or cancellation fee?

No contract, no cancellation fee. You're on a month-to-month basis by default. This is one of the core reasons people leave Rogers and Bell. Both carriers have promotional pricing that converts to a higher rate partway through a multi-year contract, with cancellation fees that make it expensive to leave early. Oxio doesn't structure plans that way.

Do I need to buy a specific modem?

Oxio publishes a compatibility list on their website. You can bring your own compatible modem (DOCSIS 3.1 modem for cable, or the appropriate model for fibre depending on your address) or rent one from Oxio. I'd buy. A solid modem runs $80-150 and pays for itself within a few months of not renting. You own it outright, and it'll work with other ISPs if you ever switch.

How long does installation take?

Usually one to two weeks between sign-up and active service. You schedule a technician appointment once you've completed the sign-up process. Appointment windows are typically a half-day. The technician is third-party, so the experience can vary. Mine was on time but late within the window, which seems to be common.

Is Oxio worth switching to in 2026?

For most people currently paying $80-100/month to Bell or Rogers for standard residential internet in Ontario or Quebec, yes. You're likely getting access to the same underlying network for $30-40 less per month with no contract. The trade-offs are slower customer support and no phone or TV bundling. If you need a single provider for internet, cable, and home phone, Oxio won't cover all of that. If you need reliable internet and want to stop paying the Bell markup, the math is pretty simple.

Can I change my speed tier after signing up?

Yes, any time. Plan changes take effect on the next billing cycle. I've done this myself, upgrading when I needed more headroom, downgrading when I didn't. There's no fee for changing plans.

Final Verdict

Oxio is a solid choice for Canadians who are overpaying their current carrier and want month-to-month flexibility without the complexity of negotiating with a retention department every two years. The pricing is transparent, the no-contract model is genuine, and the connection quality — which runs on Bell or Videotron infrastructure depending on your province — has been reliable in my experience.

The real limitations are customer support speed and availability outside urban centres. If you're in a smaller city or rural area, check TekSavvy alongside Oxio. If you need to be able to call someone at 9 PM and get your service restored that night, Oxio may frustrate you.

For most renters in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, or Vancouver paying $85+ to a big carrier right now, this is worth a look. Use referral code RWQ2GOC at checkout or sign up through referralmaxxing.ca/go/oxio to get your first month free. If it doesn't work for you, cancel. There's no penalty for trying.

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This article contains referral links. If you sign up using my code, I may receive a reward at no extra cost to you. I only recommend services I personally use.

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