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2009-04-15 -The Light - Seaside Brings Broadband to Area

By Margie Nicholson

Seaside Communications of Sydney, CB will serve Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish, Guysborough, Inverness, Richmond, Victoria, and Cape Breton counties in the Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia (BRNS) initiative that was launched in late 2007. The seventy- five million dollar infrastructure project will provide access to all rural Nova Scotians the Internet at high speed

Lee Fleming, Communications Coordinator for Seaside Wireless says the company realizes the Internet has become as important to rural Nova Scotians as electricity and the telephone. “In 2009, the standard for communications technology will be broadband, “she said. “The Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative will deliver high-speed access to the Internet to 100 per cent of Nova Scotians . We are delighted to be part of such a project .”

Seaside Communications will serve approximately 38,000 civic addresses that currently have no access to high-speed internet.

The radio frequency Motorola canopy technology allows the Seaside signal to reach the most rural areas of each territory. Fleming says this technology relies on a series of structures designed as a network chain, called the backbone.

“The chain relays the signal from one structure to another, and then on to residences and businesses in rural areas, “she said.

Each site passes through 13 stages that include Radio Frequency design, land acquisition, public consultation, permitting, equipment procurement, site preparation, construction, equipment installation, power supply confirmation, network connectivity, signal verification, service announcement, and finally, customer installations.”

Fleming says the company is well aware there is great anticipation for the service. “Since the award of the contract in late 2007, Seaside has completed the design of the entire network,” she said. “In some areas, parts of our network are complete and in operation, allowing us to bring residents online far in advance of the deadline. In other areas, we continue to secure landowner permission to build sites.”

Seaside is pleased to announce that four towers have been completed in the North Shore area. Communities lit in Colchester are Balfron, Balmoral Mills, Bayhead, Brule, Brule Point, Brule Shore, Denmark, French River, Keeble, Middleton, Middleton Corner, Oliver, Sand Point, Sandville, Tatamagouche, The Falls, Waldegrave, Warwick Mountain, Waugh’s River, West New Annan, and West Tatamagouche.

 Communities lit in Cumberland County are: East Wentworth, Fox Harbour, Greenville Station, Gulf Shore, Head of Wallace Bay, Kerr’s Mills Road, Lower Gulf Shore, Lower Wentworth, Mapleton, Mattatall Lake, Middleboro, North Middleboro, North Wallace, Pugwash Junction, Six Mile Road, South Middleboro, Streets Ridge, Valley Road, Wallace Bridge, Wallace Grant, Wallace River West, Wallace Station, Wentworth Station, Westchester Station, Westchester Valley and Westchester. When the initiative is completed at the end of 2009, the entire province will have high-speed Internet access, making Nova Scotia one of the most connected jurisdictions in Canada and in North America.

Everyone who is interested in a reliable, robust, and fast high-speed internet service can call the install hotline at 1 888 965 5511 or email info@seasidehighspeed.com with questions or check the website on a regular basis for postings on new communities lit: www.seasidehighspeed.com.