Bell Fibe infrastructure upgrades begin for Mountain area
by Brandon Mayer
A sign in South Mountain assures residents in French that Bell Fibe is coming soon. An English version on the sign was toppled over by the wind.
Internet is about to get a serious upgrade in the western part of the Township. In mid 2023, it was announced that 966 homes in South Mountain, Mountain, Inkerman and Hallville would get upgraded to Bell Fibe at some point in 2025. These villages currently operate on old Bell copper lines, which are being phased out. The copper lines provide a maximum internet download speed of 25 mbps which, although considered “high speed internet”, is not always sufficient for modern needs such as multiple devices video streaming or gaming at once. Bell “fiber-to-the-home” technology will offer significantly faster speeds to customers in these villages.
Unlike in Winchester and Chesterville, where much faster cable internet infrastructure exists, residents who live in the former Mountain Township are left with a choice between Bell and various wireless internet options that are fed by a cellular tower or a satellite signal. The upgraded phone lines will provide a faster option as part of a joint provincial and federal commitment to invest in better internet for rural residents.
Parts of the area slated for the upgrade have already been flagged with markers for buried utilities, including some rural side roads, and the new lines have already been installed in some parts of South Mountain. As the work is completed, residents should get in touch with Bell for more information regarding the upgraded service.
The installation of the new infrastructure was contracted to Directbore. Residents with questions about the installation work can contact Directbore at 613-821-0999 x 106, or by email at info@directbore.com