Rural Internet

Happy New Year!

In December, Bell wrapped up work on two fibre service area projects: the Canaan & Area section of the Bell-DNS Phase 2 Project "Chester Surround" (notably for addresses on Sherwood Road) and the Chester Grant component of the Bell-DNS Phase 3 Project "Scope Expansion - Chester", which includes service to Chester Grant, Millet lake, Larder Lake, and area.

Sherwood Road civic addresses file is in the Documents section HERE and Chester Grant component civic addresses file is HERE.

Some project updates from both Bell and Develop Nova Scotia:

1. On November 21, 2022, Bell provided an update on the remaining Canaan fibre service area component of the Bell-Develop Nova Scotia Phase 2 Project "Chester Surround" as well as the Bell-DNS Phase 3 Project "Scope Expansion - Chester" (Chester Grant component). Construction crews returned to the projects in mid-November following post- Hurricane Fiona restoration work. Assuming there are no further setbacks, these projects should be completed during the first week of December.

A reminder that 200 civic addresses included in the Canaan fibre service area already have access to Bell's fibre service. A list of those addresses are included as Bell-DNS Phase 2 Canaan Area-Chester Surround Project Civic Addresses Ph1 in the Documents section of this page or via this link HERE.

2. The project completion date of Bell-DNS Phase 3 Project "Scope Expansion - Hubbards Area" has been bumped up to the end of January 2023, contingent on NS Power completing the crossing of Highway 103 at Mill Lake and Sawler Lake as currently scheduled.

3. On November 30, 2022, Develop Nova Scotia (which, as of December 1, 2022, will be integrated with Nova Scotia Lands to become Build Nova Scotia) announced a second Satellite Internet Service Rebate Program Expansion. The Rebate program will now be available to homes and businesses that currently don’t have access to high-speed internet, including those in a current project area not yet complete. The rebate remains available to the approximately 3,700 homes and businesses throughout Nova Scotia for which no feasible wired or wireless internet solution has been found as well as the previous program expansion that included properties identified as not receiving high-speed access until after the end of 2023. For more information about the Satellite Internet Service Rebate Program: Email: satellite@developns.ca(External link) | Phone: 1-800-298-2854 | Website: https://internet.developns.ca/satellite/

On October 4, 2022, Bell reported on progress to the Bell-Develop Nova Scotia Phase 2 Project "Chester Surround". This project is comprised of four Bell fibre service areas: Aaldersville area, New Russell area, Seffernville area, all of which have been completed, and Canaan area, which is the focus of the update.

Bell reports that 200 civic addresses included in the Canaan area now have access to Bell's fibre service. A list of those addresses are included as Bell-DNS Phase 2 Canaan Area-Chester Surround Project Civic Addresses Ph1 in the Documents section of this page or via this link HERE.

Residents with addresses listed in the Canaan area civic address file are encouraged to contact Bell at 1-888-341-2927 or to check availability at www.bell.ca.

Bell continues to work on providing service to remaining civic addresses in the Canaan area, as well as civic addresses in adjoining, subsequently announced service areas such as the Bell-DNS Phase 3 Project "Scope Expansion - Chester" (Chester Grant component) and the Bell-DNS New Scope Expansion Project "Various Communities" announced in April 2022. (Details about both of these projects is available on this project page.) Progress with remaining project areas builds on existing service areas, so prioritization is, in part, informed by the logical deployment of resources in building and expanding on existing service areas.

Another important factor informing progress of Bell/Develop Nova Scotia projects is Nova Scotia Power's 'make-ready' work in replacing power poles, vegetation cutbacks, watercourse and highway crossing permits, and so on. NS Power's planned 'make-ready' work for Bell's fibre service areas has been disrupted as resources have been redirected to address Hurricane Fiona restoration activities.

Further updates and progress reports when available.

Having launched the Satellite Internet Service Rebate program at the beginning of August, Develop Nova Scotia just announced expanded eligibility for the program.

In addition to being available to an estimated 3,700 homes and businesses throughout Nova Scotia that could not access any announced or existing internet service areas, Develop Nova Scotia has now opened up the Satellite Internet Service Rebate program to an additional 2,200 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia that are not expected to be able to access wired or wireless internet until after December 31, 2023.

The Satellite Internet Service Rebate program covers the one-time costs of equipment, shipping, taxes, and installation of satellite internet for eligible homes or businesses, up to a maximum of $1,000. Previously, the rebate only applied to homes or businesses where there was no other planned internet service solution.

Residents interested in the rebate should confirm they are eligible before purchasing satellite equipment. They can do so by visiting https://internet.developns.ca/satellite and entering their home or business address. If a civic address is listed as eligible in that Develop Nova Scotia search bar, it is eligible for the program.

Once residents confirm program eligibility and purchase the satellite service and equipment, they can submit applications electronically or by mail.

Only Starlink has indicated they can meet or exceed the CRTC minimum service speeds of 50 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload as a satellite internet service provider, so currently only Starlink is eligible for the DNS Satellite Internet Service Rebate program.

For more information: Email: satellite@developns.ca | Phone: 1-800-298-2854 | Website: https://internet.developns.ca/satellite/

Develop Nova Scotia (DNS) recently announced new scope expansion projects with Eastlink. There are multiple project sites throughout Nova Scotia that will provide wired to the home solutions, either coax or fibre depending on what infrastructure exists currently for each expanded service area. In the Municipality of Chester there are two community projects among the twenty-four scope expansion projects announced: Eastlink-DNS Scope Expansion - Borgles Point and Eastlink-DNS Scope Expansion -The Lodge. Maps for these scope expansion projects are available through project name links and in the Documents tab on this page under Eastlink-DNS Scope Expansion Projects.

June 14, 2022 -- In late May, Develop Nova Scotia (DNS) provided updates on existing Bell-DNS internet projects in our Municipality, as well as a new scope scope expansion project that provides service to additional civic addresses outside of previously announced project areas. Updates include:

• Bell-DNS Phase 2 Project "Chester Surround" - a list of 374 civic addresses now able to access Bell internet service, available in the Documents section of this project page here: Bell-DNS Phase 2 - Chester Surround Project - civics served May 2022.pdf (49.4 KB) (pdf)
• Bell-DNS New Scope Expansion Project (Various Communities) - consult the internet project summary for the additional 50 civic addresses in Aldersville, Chester Grant, East Chester, and Martins Point

More information is available in both the list of project summaries and the more detailed individual project lists on this site.

Discussion continues between Develop Nova Scotia (DNS) and internet service providers on how to meet the DNS mandate of “as close to 100% of Nova Scotian homes & businesses as possible will have access to minimum service standards of at least target speeds required by the CRTC”. DNS estimates that, outside of the projects completed or announced, there are currently 380 civic addresses remaining in our Municipality who do not have access to CRTC minimum internet service standards.

As always, don't hesitate to contact us (via this site or at jmeakin@chester.ca) or Develop Nova Scotia directly at info@developns.ca with any questions.

April 8, 2022 -- We received a brief update from Bell today that confirms the status/estimated completion date of each Bell-Develop Nova Scotia project currently underway in our Municipality. Please consult the project summary list and more detailed individual project lists on this site.

There is ongoing discussion between Develop Nova Scotia (DNS) and internet service providers to advance the DNS mandate of facilitating access to minimum service standards for remaining underserviced/unserviced civic addresses. As soon as DNS provides any further updates on the next phase of the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative, we will help share that information with residents, businesses, and organizations in our municipality.

In the meantime, don't hesitate to contact us (via this site or at jmeakin@chester.ca) or Develop Nova Scotia directly at info@developns.ca.

My thanks to a keen-eyed resident who spotted a typo in the latest issue of the Municipal Insight newsletter. On Page 7, the Boss or Bust article, there is an incorrect reference to the Bell fibre network project in New Russell (one of the four areas that make up the Develop Nova Scotia /Bell Chester Surround Project) as having a projected completion date of 2023. That is incorrect and should read 2022!!

As of early August, Bell indicated that the Chester Surround Project would be completed in 2022. When Bell provides any new updates, I'll be sure to post that information here.

My apologies for the typo!
Jonathan

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.