Xplornet to Connect 20,000 Rural Homes and Businesses in Prince Edward Island to Fast and Reliable Internet

Project on track to deliver fibre-to-the-home and next-generation 5G wireless broadband, starting with fibre installation on the Confederation Bridge

WOODSTOCK, NB – Xplornet Communications Inc., Canada’s largest rural-focused broadband provider, announced today that construction of its fibre cable has started on the Confederation Bridge in Prince Edward Island. This milestone is part of a broader network expansion project that will connect over 20,000 residents and businesses in rural communities across Prince Edward Island to next-generation reliable high-speed internet.

Made possible by an agreement with Straight Crossing Development Inc., a fifteen-kilometre cable – the first telecommunications cable to be placed inside the bridge’s utility corridor in nearly 25 years – will connect Xplornet’s Prince Edward Island fibre network to its fibre network across the Maritimes. This multi-year network expansion project also includes the installation of over 600 kilometres of fibre cable across the province. Once completed in early 2023, more than 20,000 Islanders will be able to benefit from faster speeds, unlimited data and reduced latency on a world-class broadband network that uses fibre-to-the-home and 5G wireless technologies.

“Xplornet’s latest investment in Prince Edward Island delivers on our commitment to bridge the digital divide for rural communities, help drive economic growth and positively impact the lives of local residents,” said Allison Lenehan, President and CEO of Xplornet Communications Inc. “We will continue to invest in rolling out our next-generation broadband network across the province so that all Islanders have access to fast and reliable internet that connects them to what matters.”

Xplornet also announced last year that it will invest $500 million over five years to deploy state-of-the-art hybrid fibre wireless technology in its facilities-based network in order to deliver broadband services to rural Canadians.