Bell Aliant's world-class fibre-to-the-home network coming to St. John's

Investing $22 million in FibreOP(TM) TV and Internet services

ST. JOHN'S, April 7 2011 -- Bell Aliant today announced an investment of $22 million to bring its world-class fibre-to-the-home network, known as FibreOP(TM), to 60,000 homes and businesses in the St. John's and surrounding area.

"We are bringing the most advanced technology in the world to St. John's," said Karen Sheriff, President and CEO, Bell Aliant. "For our customers, it means the possibilities are endless and whether you're a student, a business or simply trying to do more online, you'll be accessing the best network in North America and you'll be doing it faster and better than ever before. That's the kind of progress we're proud to deliver to our customers in St. John's."

The awarding of recent contracts from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador along with the economics of the region, create a strong business case to bring the FibreOP network to St. John's, one of Bell Aliant's largest and most important markets.

"This investment ensures that St. John's has what it needs to become even more competitive in the global economy," said Geoff Davis, Regional Sales Vice President, Newfoundland and Labrador. "Access to the most innovative technology in the world will give us an advantage as we work to attract key talent and business to the province."

The first in Canada to cover an entire city with fibre-to-the-home, Bell Aliant will have invested almost half a billion dollars to extend FTTH to over 600,000 homes and businesses in the areas we serve by the end of 2012.

FibreOP Internet offers choices in speeds, including the fastest Internet available in the province with 170 Mbps download and 30 Mbps upload service. These speeds enable customers to not only download music or movies and share videos or photos faster than ever before, but also accommodate the growing need for multiple users within the home.

Building on the success of Bell Aliant TV in St. John's, more customers will now have access to FibreOP TV, a 100 per cent digital TV service including High Definition television available on all TVs, and watch and record PVR. Customers can enjoy unmatched digital picture and sound quality on over 200 video channels, including 70 HD channels and 98 music channels.

Bell Aliant has been recognized as the best in all of North America for innovation and leadership in FTTH deployment with the FTTXcellence Award, presented at the 2010 FTTH Conference in Las Vegas.

Customers can pre-register for FibreOP service by visiting www.bellaliant.net/fibreop or calling 1-866-FIBREOP (1-866-342-7367) and will be notified when service is available in their area later this summer.

About Bell Aliant

Bell Aliant is one of North America's largest regional communications providers and the first company in Canada to cover an entire city with fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology with its FibreOP(TM) services. Through its operating entities it serves customers in six Canadian provinces with innovative information, communication and technology services including voice, data, Internet, video and value-added business solutions. Bell Aliant's employees deliver the highest quality of customer service, choice and convenience.

For further information: Mark Duggan, Bell Aliant Corporate Affairs, (709) 687-3136, mark.duggan@bellaliant.ca


SOURCE Bell Aliant