Provincial Investment Will Bring Fibre-to-the-home Technology to Halifax

State-of-the-art television and Internet access will soon be available to businesses and residents in Halifax Regional Municipality thanks to a $2-million provincial investment with Bell Aliant.

The forgivable loan, part of an investment announced in Sydney last spring, will help bring fibre-to-the-home technology directly to about 160,000 more homes and businesses in HRM.

"To ensure Nova Scotia's economy continues to grow, the province needs to remain competitive in the global economy," said Premier Darrell Dexter. "That means making sure we have the right telecommunications infrastructure in place, right across the province. This is a significant step forward in achieving that goal."

In May 2010, the province announced the $2-million contribution to introduce the fibre-to-the-home technology in Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The project is expected to generate direct and indirect tax revenues worth up to $4.5 million. More than half of this investment will be spent on jobs and services.

This investment is in line with jobsHere, the province's plan to create good jobs and grow the economy. Part of the plan includes strategic investment in innovation and productivity to increase the competitiveness of our companies and create high-value jobs for Nova Scotians.

Bell Aliant's FibreOP service will allow the company to deliver unprecedented Internet speeds to its customers, the fastest in the region. These upgrades will also make telehealth, distance education and telecommuting or working at home more accessible.

"The response to our FibreOP service has been outstanding, and we're pleased to now expand this network to customers in our largest and most competitive market," said Karen Sheriff, president and CEO, Bell Aliant. "Giving our customers access to the most advanced technology available not only serves their communication needs today, but means they are ready for whatever the future holds."

Services will be available to customers in Halifax, Dartmouth, Eastern Passage, Cole Harbour, Sackville, Hammonds Plains, Waverley, Timberlea, Spryfield, Bedford, St. Margaret's Bay and Lake Echo later this year. Customers in Sydney and Sydney River have the fibre-optic technology, while those in Glace Bay, North Sydney, Sydney Mines and New Waterford can expect access in the coming months.