Why Purple Fibre Is the Most Reliable Internet Network in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has only three internet networks, and when severe weather hits, reliability matters more than anything. Purple Fibre is the newest fibre internet network in Nova Scotia, built using next-generation XGSPON technology designed for speed, resilience, and long-term reliability.

On Friday, December 19th, a major windstorm hit the province, with gusts exceeding one hundred kilometres per hour. It was the kind of storm that exposes weaknesses in aging infrastructure and puts modern networks to the test.

For Purple Fibre, it was an important moment.

The Three Internet Networks in Nova Scotia

Today, Nova Scotians rely on one of three internet networks.

Purple Fibre is the newest network and the only one currently being built from the ground up. It uses XGSPON fibre technology, capable of delivering speeds up to 10 gigabits both up and down.

Bell operates a fibre network with the largest footprint in the province. Their network is built on older GPON technology, which supports speeds of up to 1.5 gigabits down and 940 megabits up.

Eastlink operates a network that is still largely coaxial. Much of this infrastructure has been on power poles for decades, dating back to when they were the first provider to offer high-speed internet in Nova Scotia. Eastlink offers speeds up to 1 gigabits down and 15 megabits up.

Each network was built in a different era, and that matters when it comes to reliability.

What Makes Purple Fibre Different

When we set out to build Purple Fibre, speed wasn’t the only goal. Anyone can advertise fast speeds. Reliability is what actually impacts people’s lives.

We studied the challenges faced by older networks and designed Purple Fibre to avoid them. That meant building with modern fibre technology, built-in redundancy, and advanced monitoring tools that allow us to see issues immediately instead of waiting for customers to call.

One of those redundancies is how the network itself is designed. We build with a ring, or circle, mentality. If light is travelling through the fibre in one direction and there’s a break somewhere along the path, the system automatically reroutes traffic in the opposite direction. That means data continues flowing both ways and customers don’t lose service.

Another important piece is vegetation management. We proactively trim trees around our fibre routes to reduce the risk of outages during storms. Trees coming down is one of the most common causes of internet interruptions in Nova Scotia, so we don’t wait for problems to happen. We plan for them.

Nova Scotia is now one of only a few places in Canada with a third company actively building a brand-new internet network. That level of competition drives better service, lower costs, and real innovation.

How Purple Fibre Performed During the December Windstorm

During the storm, our team monitored Purple Fibre in real time.

We can see the network both on a home-by-home basis and as a complete system. If a fibre line is damaged, for example by a fallen tree, we know immediately. We can also narrow down where the issue occurred, which allows us to send repair crews directly to the right location.

Our crews were on standby all night, ready to be dispatched if needed. I was ready to head out myself. When you’re building critical infrastructure, you don’t wait and hope for the best.

The result was clear. Purple Fibre held strong through the storm.

Why Network Monitoring Matters for Reliability

Older networks often rely on customers to report issues before action can be taken. That leads to longer outages, slower response times, and unnecessary frustration.

Purple Fibre was built differently. Our detection tools allow us to see problems before most customers would even notice them. That proactive approach is a major reason modern fibre networks perform better during extreme weather events.

This storm was a real-world stress test, and it validated the decisions we made when designing the network.

Building the Next Generation of Internet in Nova Scotia

We believe Purple Fibre is the most reliable internet network being built in Nova Scotia today. Not just because it’s faster, but because it’s designed for the future rather than patched together from the past.

Most importantly, congratulations to our team. Reliability like this doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of thoughtful design, constant monitoring, proactive maintenance, and people who genuinely care about building something better.

We’re proud of what we’re building, and even prouder to be building it right here in Nova Scotia.

Bradley Farquhar
CEO