Shaw tests ultra-fast internet speeds - Fiber Deployment test may starts as early as April

Shaw says it plans to start testing its one-gigabit internet speeds in April. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Cable provider Shaw Communications says it is testing ultra-fast broadband, with potential download speeds up to one gigabit per second.

That speed is 10 times faster than the highest-end connections now available and more than 100 times faster than what many Canadians have.

"This is game-changing technology," Shaw president Peter Bissonnette said in a statement. "We are on the leading edge of change with this trial — bringing blazing speeds and new network capabilities that will give us a springboard for future possibilities."

Shaw currently offers download speeds up to 100 megabits per second in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The service isn't cheap, though, costing $150 a month. In Japan, 160-megabit connections sell for around $60 a month while 120-megabit speeds can be had in parts of Europe for about $100.

Shaw's pricing is in line with that found in the United States. Both Canada and the United States have been criticized recently for a lack of competition in broadband, which has resulted in slower speeds and higher prices than those found in other parts of the world.

A recent international broadband study by Harvard University found that Canada ranked 22nd out of 30 countries after availability, speeds and pricing were accounted for.