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2009-09-01 -The Strait Reporter - More communities receive high speed Internet

DANA MACPHAIL, The Strait Reporter

STRAIT AREA - The region is a little more connected with recent announcements of high speed Internet availability in Inverness and Antigonish counties.
After a shaky start with Inverness district six councillor Ed MacDonald, Seaside is now on his good side.

“It’s better now, that’s for sure. I guess the big problem was communication from Seaside,” MacDonald said, noting a notice of motion he delivered in December to have Seaside removed as the Internet provider in the county is now moot.
High speed Internet is now available in Askilton, Cleveland, Crandall Road, Kingsville, MacIntyre Lake, MacIntyre Mountain, Mackdale, Morrison Siding, Princeville, Queensville, Riverside and West Bay Road in the southwest part of the county.
Seaside communications director Adam Conter said plans have been moving forward in the rest of the county, though it may not be visible yet.

“Very little of Inverness County has been connected as of yet because of the landscape of Cape Breton Island, especially the Inverness area. There’s a tremendous amount of work making sure that the design is accurate. There’s no point in building it if it’s not going to serve people,” Conter said from his Sydney office.

Communities in the southern part of Inverness have had some success with existing towers and infrastructure while the network is still being developed in the northern part of the county.
Meanwhile in Antigonish County, more than 600 homes and businesses in the county are able to subscribe to high speed Internet.

Afton, Antigonish Landing, Ashdale, Bayfield, Beech Hill, Big Marsh, Black Avon, Black Settlement, Cloverville, Clydesdale, Dunmaglass, Fairmont, Frasers Grant, Glen Road, Harbour Centre, Harbour Road, Heatherton, Lower North Grant, Lower South River, Mahoneys Beach, Marydale, Meadow Green, Monks Head, North Grant, Ohio West, Pinkietown, Pomquet Station, Pomquet Forks, Purlbrook, Saint Andrews, Saint Joseph, South River Station, Southside Antigonish Harbour, Summerside, Sylvan Valley, Upper Afton, Upper Pomquet, West Arm Tracadie, West River, and Williams Point were all recently added to the list of areas where the service is available.

The project is part of the government’s Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia Initiative. When completed at the end of the year the entire province will have high speed access.