Toronto has its share of underdog stories: resilient sports teams, tiny startups evolving into million-dollar apps, thriving diverse neighbourhoods. It is a city that has always supported David in the face of Goliath.
What if its best kept secret was a telecommunication company? Meet Beanfield Metroconnect, the ISP founded by a 15-year-old high-school student. A company that owns its own infrastructure end-to-end, employs locals only, and now provides fibre Internet, TV, and home phone services to over 700 residential and commercial buildings in the city.
Owning their own fiber-optic network means Beanfield is in direct competition to industry giants like Bell, Rogers, and TELUS. They’re a breath of fresh air in an industry otherwise dominated by the shady sales tactics and binding contracts that come with Big Telecom. In fact, Beanfield doesn’t use residential contracts at all. They base their business on trust. “We’ve had customers leave for flashy sales,” remarks an employee, “they tend to come back.”
Beanfield’s prices are fixed and competitive: residential Internet with unlimited data starts at $50 for 250 Megabits per second. They don’t bundle because they believe that every one of their customers, new and old, should pay the same as their neighbor. The static pricing enables them to focus on what they value the most: providing excellent service. Their online reviews, which boast a 4.4 star Facebook and Google rating, showcase hundreds of pleased clients. This success is no doubt supported by their location – Beanfield’s office is in Liberty Village, allowing them to zip over to Toronto’s condos and businesses with ease. Absolutely none of their work is outsourced.
Beanfield’s tagline is How it Should Be, a value set that carries into their extensive community involvement. The ISP regularly participates in residents and business association events, supports a local Parkdale school with educational field trips, and donates their services to the Liberty Village Respite Centre. They are also proud partners with Daniels Artscape Launchpad, bringing connectivity to the centre that supports local artists, and they’ve recently collaborated with SickKids on Project Horizon. Giving back to the community may be increasingly common in Canadian companies lately, but Beanfield has made it their mission for over 30 years.
Safe to say, choosing your fibre Internet, TV, or home phone service provider doesn’t have to concern lesser evils. There’s an option for quality service, competitive prices, and ethical standards – and its right in our backyard.
