Nova Scotia’s Big and Little Tancook islands to get high-speed internet service

Crews load undersea cabling and project supplies onto a barge at Dominion Diving in Halifax Harbour, bound for Blandford. The project is part of the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative, bringing Bell fibre internet service to the Tancook islands. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia)

Residents and businesses on a pair of islands off the coast of Chester, N.S., will soon be getting reliable high-speed internet service.

Big and Little Tancook islands will be connected to the mainland as part of the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative, with plans to lay nearly six kilometres of submarine fibre optic cable along the ocean floor. About eight kilometres of aerial fibre will also be installed. The work will enable Bell fibre optic connections for more than 180 homes and businesses.

The Nova Scotia government says the project requires “specialized marine equipment, environmental approvals and carefully co-ordinated construction” and is the only project under the initiative to use the approach.

“The Tancook islands are an important part of Nova Scotia’s coastal communities. By utilizing what surrounds us – the ocean – the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative and our partners are bringing fibre service to the islands, supporting residents, small businesses and visitors with access to the services and opportunities they need,” said Danielle Barkhouse, MLA for Chester-St. Margarets, in a news release from the province.

The government says installation is expected to begin soon and completed early in the fall. It marks the final phase for the South Shore project area.

“Connecting Canadians is at the core of what we do. Bell has spent decades bringing connectivity to rural, remote and hard-to-reach communities across Canada, building deep expertise in complex network deployments, including subsea fibre infrastructure,” said Mark McDonald, executive vice-president and chief technology officer at Bell Canada, in the release.

Residents of the Tancook islands currently have access through fixed wireless and the provincial Satellite Internet Service Rebate Program.

“Led by Build Nova Scotia, the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative has helped deliver reliable, high-speed internet access to almost 100 per cent of underserved Nova Scotian homes and businesses through a mix of providers and technologies,” reads the release.

The Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative was established in 2018 and more than103,000 underserved locations have access through the initiative, according to the province.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page