I Did The Opposite of What The Experts Told Me to Do

When I started building our own fibre network in Nova Scotia, the experts told me it was a bad idea.

They said it would cost too much, that Bell and Eastlink already owned the market, and that taking them on was asking for trouble. The funny part is, I heard the exact same thing when I started Purple Cow Internet in the first place.

Taking on the Giants

Back then, some people believed in me no matter what, my mom, a few close friends, the kind of people who always see possibility first. Others thought I was out of my mind for trying to take on the giants. And honestly, you need both perspectives when starting something new. The believers fuel your drive, and the skeptics force you to think harder.

Starting a business takes years of your life. You’ll lean on friends and family for support, whether that’s to be your first customers, share your story, or even loan you money when things get tight. I took all that in, weighed my options, and jumped anyway.

Why Nova Scotia Needed Change

Fast forward a few years, and Purple Cow has forced real change in Nova Scotia. Prices have come down. Customer service has improved. But even with that progress, we still have some of the highest internet costs in the country.

That’s when the idea of building our own fibre network started to make sense. Renting access to someone else’s network is a lot like renting a house. You’re paying to use something that never becomes yours. Building our own fibre meant we could start owning that infrastructure, directing those rental payments toward something that builds long term value for our herd.

Turning an Idea into Reality

When the idea first clicked, I opened up an Excel sheet and started mapping out every cost I could think of. For the ones I didn’t know, I called vendors, got quotes, and filled in the blanks. That same spreadsheet still exists today, constantly updated as costs and technology change.

The turning point came when I realized that if we financed the build properly, our monthly payments could eventually match what we’re paying to rent someone else’s network. That was the moment I knew it could work.

The Day Everything Changed

I started applying for government licenses, talking to banks, and running the numbers again and again. I told myself by doing these things I was still not fully committed and could always back out if I hit a showstopper. Then one day, in the winter of 2021, I got an email from the CRTC: Purple Cow had been approved to own a network. I closed my eyes and just sat with it for a moment—it felt like the first step into something that would change everything. Then I called my business partner Joe, and we both celebrated like school boys.

What the Experts Got Wrong

Not long after, I was at an internet conference in Toronto when a consultant who was considered an expert in his field pulled me aside. He’d heard about our plan and wasted no time telling me it was a bad idea.

He said, “No one else in Canada is doing what you are suggesting,” and continued, “There are already two dominant players in the Nova Scotia market and there would be no competitive advantage for Purple Cow.” Another industry expert joined in, echoing the same line: “You should focus on rural areas where the big guys are not at yet. Building in urban markets won’t work.”

They weren’t wrong about us being one of the first companies to try this, but they were missing something critical. Our competitive advantage isn’t just that we’re building a fibre optic network, it’s why we’re doing it. Fibre is just the foundation that allows us to innovate and serve customers better than anyone else. It’s the tool that lets us deliver the kind of magical experience that no other ISP is thinking about.

Why Customers Choose Purple Cow

I believe that if we go head to head with any internet service provider in Nova Scotia and ask a homeowner what matters most, speed, price, reliability, being local, or giving back, they’ll choose Purple Cow. We’ve been winning customers for years on someone else’s network, and by building our own, we’ll be ranked the highest in all of these categories.

The Results So Far

I’m happy to say we didn’t listen to the experts and moved forward with building our own network. Today, we have hundreds of customers in Fairview enjoying what we call Purple Fibre, speeds up to ten times faster than the big guys, at nearly half the price. We’ve set a new benchmark for price, reliability, and customer service, and we’re just getting started.

Changing the Internet in Nova Scotia

As I like to say, rising tides float all boats. By doing what the experts told me not to, we’re forcing change in an industry that desperately needed it. And when the big guys respond to what we’re doing, it’s not just us who wins, it’s every homeowner in Nova Scotia.

Sometimes the best move is to do the exact opposite of what everyone tells you to do.

Learn more about Purple Fibre atpurplecowinternet.com
Helping Nova Scotians get faster, more affordable internet—built by locals, for locals.

Bradley Farquhar
CEO