Canadian broadband services provider Xplornet Communications Inc. has announced plans to deploy fiber cable to help bring improved broadband to more than 24,000 rural homes and businesses in Nova Scotia. Develop Nova Scotia and the municipalities of Cumberland and Colchester will assist in funding the project.
The new fiber-optic cabling will support both fiber to the home (FTTH) and the use of what Xplornet termed “5G-ready wireless broadband infrastructure” to deliver 100-Mbps broadband in the two municipalities initially, with the potential of upgrade to gigabit broadband. The project, which will begin later this year, will cover 16,000 homes through the Nova Scotia Internet Funding Trust (NSIFT), as well as 8,000 homes outside of the program’s scope, says Xplornet.
"At Xplornet, we are delighted to invest in world-class infrastructure to deliver faster broadband with unlimited data to more rural Canadians," said Allison Lenehan, president and CEO of Xplornet. "We are a Canadian company, proudly based in Atlantic Canada. This represents a major expansion of our services in Nova Scotia and is an important chapter for our company. We can't wait to get started on this project, delivering amazing broadband to rural Nova Scotians."
Xplornet offers services through a mix of fiber, satellite, and wireless technologies. The company announced plans last year to invest more than CAN$500 million in its national broadband network (see, for example, “Xplornet plans fiber-optic network build in rural parts of Eastern Ontario”).
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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