Rural Internet

Below are several updates and reminders about Develop Nova Scotia and/or internet service provider (ISP) projects in our Municipality:

1. As of July 7, 2021, Bell has updated the status of the following projects:
   
   
   • Bell-DNS Phase 2 Blandford Project (which includes the communities of Northwest Cove, Southwest Cove, Aspotogan, Bayswater, Upper Blandford, Blandford, and New Harbour). The bulk of this project is now complete. A few remaining civic addresses in the area do not yet have access owing to the water crossing permit delay on Owls Head Road, which should be resolved shortly.
     
     
   • Bell-DNS Phase 3 Scope Expansion Chester Project (Deep Cove to Spruce Point). This project is now complete and a file of civic addresses that can access Bell Fibre Op in this project service area is available under the Documents tab on this page. (See: Bell-DNS Phase 3 - Deep Cove to Spruce Point Area Scope Expansion Project FSA110 Civic Address File)
     
     
   • Bell-DNS Phase 2 Chester Surround (Aaldersville area, Canaan area, New Russell area, and Seffernville area). This project now has an estimated completion date of summer 2022.
     
     
2. A reminder that progress on the Bell-DNS projects involves many moving parts, including: Bell’s capacity in managing multiple concurrent projects throughout Nova Scotia; the design of the new fibre service area network and ordering of specific materials; coordinating “make ready” work with Nova Scotia Power on power poles; securing water crossing permits with the Department of Lands & Forestry where necessary; and then, of course, the actual project build that includes installing fibre and vegetation cutbacks. The many Bell-DNS projects underway throughout our province creates logistical and capacity pressures for each announced project. For further detail of what goes into the coordination and prioritization of Bell-DNS projects, take a look at the Q&A section on this project page.
   
   
3. Unfortunately, TNC Wireless has cancelled its wireless towers project in our Municipality, a project originally announced in 2019 as a temporary solution to provide broadband wireless service until Develop Nova Scotia rolled out its Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative. TNC Wireless made the decision to cancel the project as it was no longer economically viable for TNC given the extent of the Bell-DNS service area projects in our communities. Community consultation for three tower sites (in Windsor Road, Forties, and Seffernville) was completed earlier this year by the Canadian Radiocommunications Information and Notification Service (CRINS), and although Council had budgeted a contribution to the TNC Wireless project, no work was completed on the towers project so no Municipal funds were expended.
   
   
4. Finally, Develop Nova Scotia (DNS) is leading investment in projects to improve access to high speed internet throughout the province. The mandate of DNS is that as close to 100% of Nova Scotian homes & businesses as possible will have access to minimum service standards of internet speeds of 50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload for wired connections, and 25 Mbps download/5Mbps upload for wireless connections. As DNS and its ISP partners confirm details about the scope of announced projects, it is increasingly important that Develop Nova Scotia knows about properties that will still not have access to minimum service standards when all announced projects are completed. One of the things we’re doing at the Municipality is identifying and tracking any remaining unserviced/under serviced areas that we can then share with DNS for their ongoing discussions for additional projects. Residents, businesses, and organizations who do not have the opportunity to access minimum service standards as defined by Develop Nova Scotia are encouraged to contact Jonathan Meakin at jmeakin@chester.ca with details.

Maps for the Bell / Develop Nova Phase 2 projects have been released by Develop Nova Scotia. Copies of those Phase 2 project maps are included under the Documents tab on this page. Those maps are:

• Bell-DNS Phase 2 - Blandford Project
• Bell-DNS Phase 2 - Blandford Project - Bayswater detail
• Bell-DNS Phase 2 - Aaldersville Area - Chester Surround Project
• Bell-DNS Phase 2 - Canaan Area - Chester Surround Project
• Bell-DNS Phase 2 - New Russell Area - Chester Surround Project
• Bell-DNS Phase 2 - Seffernville Area - Chester Surround Project

Details about timing have not yet been released by Bell.

On January 25, Develop Nova Scotia (DNS) announced Phase 3 Scope Expansion Projects, as well as confirmation that a Phase 2 project, which is being built from our neighbouring municipality, will provide service to residents in the Municipality of the District of Chester. Those projects are as follows:

• Bell-DNS Phase 3 - Chester Grant Area Scope Expansion Project (including Millet Lake, Larder Lake, and a stretch of Highway 14)
• Bell-DNS Phase 3 - Deep Cove to Spruce Point Area Scope Expansion Project (what DNS describes as Schnares Cove)
• Bell-DNS Phase 3 - Hubbards North Area Scope Expansion Project (including Dauphinees Mill Lake)
• Bell-DNS Phase 3 - Hubbards South Area Scope Expansion Project (including Fox Point Lake)
• Bell-DNS Phase 2 - Wildor Park - Lunenburg North Project

Maps of the service areas for these projects are included in the Documents tab on this page. Details about timing for these projects has not yet been announced by Bell.

As of November 18, 2020, the four Fibre Serving Areas (FSA) that make up the New Ross project have been completed, although Bell indicated there remains three NS Power work orders to complete which may affect some civic addresses. Updated civic address files to accompany the FSA maps have been uploaded in the documents section of the Rural Internet project page, as follows:

• FSA 101 Lake Ramsay
• FSA 102 Forties
• FSA 201 Mill Road and Leville
• FSA 202 New Russell Road

Residents with addresses listed in those FSA civic address files are encouraged to contact Bell at 1-888-341-2927 or to check availability at www.bell.ca.

For those who were unable to attend the live session on October 16, a recording and accompanying presentation document of the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative webinar are now available on the Develop Nova Scotia website here: https://internet.developns.ca/events/south-shore-webinar/

The session features an update from Develop Nova Scotia on the work done so far in investing in high speed internet infrastructure in our province, as well as a discussion of what's next and a question and answer session.

For the wired-to-the-home network build, Bell created four (4) Fibre Serving Areas (FSAs). Three of these four FSAs have been completed or partially completed, amounting to a total of 422 civic addresses in New Ross that are now ready for service orders with Bell. The documents section of this Rural Internet Page includes the four FSA maps Bell created, along with civic address files for three of those areas:

• FSA 101 Lake Ramsay -- 119 civic addresses still to be added
• FSA 102 Forties -- complete
• FSA 202 New Russell Road -- 52 civic addresses still to be added
• FSA Mill Road and Leville -- 'make ready' work still in progress

Residents are encouraged to consult the civic address lists provided here. Addresses included in these lists are now in Bell's 'service qualification system', which means residents at those addresses can contact Bell today to update their service. Contact Bell at 1-888-341-2927 or at www.Bell.ca for more information.

South Shore | Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative

Join Develop Nova Scotia to hear more about the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative, with information on the Initiative's recently announced phase. Develop NS staff will be on hand to present the update and then respond to your questions.

Residents throughout the South Shore region are welcome to join this information session live on October 16 at 1pm, either online or via phone. Details on how to register are available here: internet.developns.ca/events/south-shore-webinar

Residents who are unable to join the session live can still participate. A recording of the session, along with the PowerPoint presentation, will be available on the Develop NS website after the session is complete at https://internet.developns.ca/news-events/events/. In addition, questions can be submitted before the session to either info@developns.ca or via phone at 1-833-422-6591.