Project Update
October 17, 2008In the news...
Recently, Premier Rodney MacDonald joined staff and residents of L'Arche Cape Breton to celebrate their high-speed connection to the Internet. The event was held September 29, 2008, in Orangedale, Inverness County. This is the first area in Cape Breton to experience the benefits of high-speed through the provinces Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative.
Premier MacDonald said, "By making this important service available, we are encouraging people to build careers, raise their families and enjoy the advantages of living in rural Nova Scotia.
L'Arche Cape Breton is a member of an international federation of more than 130 LArche communities in 34 countries worldwide. They create homes, programs and jobs for people with developmental disabilities. L'Arche Cape Breton has 20-25 live-in staff who operate six homes in the Orangedale/Iron Mines area that house and nurture 25 men and women with disabilities. They also operate a workshop, two retail outlets and day programs.
Director Jenn Power is enthusiastic that dial-up is a thing of the past. She says the Internet is a great equalizer for people with disabilities. Now, like so many others with high speed, residents can easily connect to the outside world, look up things they want to know, download music and pictures, or join Facebook!
High-speed will also make it easier to recruit and keep international live-in staff, who can easily contact family overseas and complete educational studies.
Seaside Communications president Irving Schwartz said that Orangedale is the first of hundreds of sites to be connected by Seaside High-Speed in its coverage area. The company won the contract to provide high-speed access in northeastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. When its network is completed at the end of 2009, the company will be able to provide approximately 39,000 civic addresses with the opportunity to subscribe to high speed.
Other broadband rollout news...
The Internet service providers contracted to deliver high speed to rural Nova Scotia are currently undertaking public consultation about fixed wireless tower sites around the province. They are required to do this before building towers to deliver the high speed signal to rural homes and businesses. As part of these consultations, Nova Scotians are asking important questions and we thought you'd probably like to hear the answers too.
Will these towers/poles damage my familys health?
Many rural residents are concerned about the safety of the equipment used in the Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative. All of the equipment used for the initiative complies with the regulations for Canada Safety Code 6.
The code deals with Limits of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) in the Frequency Range from 3 KHZ to 300 GHZ. It includes specific regulations that have been developed to ensure the safety of the general public. A copy of the code can be found on the Health Canada website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/radiation/99ehd-dhm237/index-eng.php
Extensive research has been undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other bodies on the potential risk to human health posed by EMF. The WHO has not found any evidence that there is a negative impact on human health from proximity to a fixed-wireless radio antenna such as that used to deliver high-speed to rural Nova Scotia. You can find the WHO website section devoted to this subject informative at this address: www.who.int/peh-emf/en/
Are the towers/poles subject to the provincial Environment Act?
Many Nova Scotians are concerned about the possible impact of the broadband rollout on our environment. Internet service providers must abide by all provincial legislation protecting water-courses, wetlands, and other aspects of the environment covered by the Environment Act and its regulations.The Internet service providers are avoiding tower sites that would trigger an environmental assessment and choosing alternative sites where possible.
There are a variety of activities under Part V of the Environment Act that require approvals. These activities include construction of a culvert or bridge, diversion of a watercourse, and the placement of rock or other erosion protection material in a surface watercourse. Internet service providers are obliged to seek approvals for these activities when necessary.
If one of these towers is located near my home, will it reduce the value of my property?
The three Internet service providers working to deliver high speed access to 100 per cent of Nova Scotians have each chosen a fixed-wireless solution. This flexible, secure, cost-effective technology involves the use of towers and poles.
The Radio Frequency engineering has been carefully undertaken to identify the best locations for each tower and pole. These structures must be built to deliver-high speed to rural Nova Scotia.
Professor David Townsend, University of New Brunswick Law Department, has written three national reports on the siting of radio antenna towers (1987, 1997, 2005), on behalf of Industry Canada. His 1997 report in particular examined the impact on land values of tower construction in a locality, and could not establish a drop in value in the property surrounding a fixed-wireless radio antenna after its construction.
What's Next?
With much of the regulatory work and site acquisition for towers and poles nearing completion, tower construction is now underway in many parts of the province. Contact your local ISP for updates on service in your area, through our website www.gov.ns.ca/econ/broadband/
Thanks!
Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative team www.gov.ns.ca/econ/broadband