Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Is Eastlink Rural High Speed Internet available in my community?
A. Eastlink Rural High Speed Internet service is available to many rural Nova Scotians in Annapolis, Hants, Digby, Yarmouth, Queens, Lunenburg, Shelburne, and Kings counties.
While the vast majority of our installations are straight forward, we do have a relatively small number of challenging installations due to unique topography and very remote locations. That does not mean you do not have access. We continue to progress with the Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative and are connecting more and more Nova Scotians to Eastlink Rural High Speed Internet every day.
Q. What is Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia?
A. Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia is a Rural High Speed Internet solution that provides up to 25 times faster Internet speeds than traditional dial-up.
Q. How fast is Eastlink’s Rural High Speed Internet?
A. Eastlink Rural High Speed Internet has modem speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps download and up to 500 Kbps upload, which is up to 25 times faster than dial-up service.
Q. Once I have access to Rural High Speed Internet, what features, costs and contracts can I expect?
A.
- Unlimited surfing
- Up to 1.5Mbps download speed and up to 500Kbps upload speed
- 5 email addresses and 30MB of personal Web space
- 24/7 customer support
- $46.95 a month plus taxes
- $99.95 plus taxes for installation
- Seasonal disconnection service is $15 plus taxes per month for a maximum of 6 months per year
- As is the case with any Eastlink service, there are no term contracts to sign.
Q. What type of equipment will be installed at my home?
A. Typically, an antenna is installed on the outside of your home to receive the wireless Internet signal from the tower. An Internet modem will be installed inside of your home to connect the antenna to your computer or home network. You will be required to sign a Waiver of Indemnity and Release.
Q. Is Eastlink Rural High Speed Internet Service completely wire-free? What technology does it use and how is it set up at my home?
A. Eastlink Rural High Speed Internet is delivered through Motorola Canopy technology, which is a fixed-wireless Internet solution. Wireless systems do connect to some kind of cable at some point. A signal is transmitted from the tower to an antenna located on your home. The signal is then sent from that antenna through an Ethernet cable to an Internet modem that is connected to your computer.
Q. I’ve been installed but I am having trouble with my connection, what do I do?
A. See Troubleshooting section at bottom of FAQ
Q. I live in a particularly challenging area geographically, do I still have access?
A. For Nova Scotians who live in a particularly challenging spot, Eastlink will work with you to determine if you require a rooftop installation or if an alternative solution is required.
Q. My neighbor has been installed, but I’m not – why?
A. Because of the challenging and complex nature of Nova Scotia’s geography, some areas may not get a strong enough signal even if you can see the tower or their neighbor has been connected. This does not mean that you do not have access. We continue to progress with the Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative and are connecting more and more Nova Scotians to Eastlink Rural High Speed Internet every day. To date, we have connected over 7,500 rural Nova Scotians across the eight counties we serve.
Q. I’ve been trying to get installed but I’ve been told that another company is involved. Isn’t Eastlink supposed to be connecting me?
A. One of our challenges has been to balance our responsibility to deliver Rural High Speed Internet to Nova Scotians in our territory without negatively affecting the existing, smaller, community-focused Internet service providers in some of our communities.
We are pleased to partner with the following companies to ensure that you are connected.
North Nova (serving parts of Kings County)
Coastal (serving parts of Digby County)
Cross Country (serving parts of Hants County)
Please contact a Rural Broadband representative at 1-888-345-1111 if you are unsure about whether or not one of these companies is your Rural High Speed Internet provider or if you have any questions or concerns.
Q. Can I use my telephone or fax machine when I’m online?
A. Yes. Eastlink’s Rural High Speed Internet does not use your phone line(s).
Q. Does the service slow down at peak usage times?
A. It is not typical that service slows down during peak usage times. However, the service can be impacted by the setup of home computers so the more computers on any given home network could slow down the service.
Q. What are the minimum requirements for my computer to receive Rural High Speed Internet?
A. Click here for system requirements.
Q. Can I access my email remotely?
A. Yes, your emails can be accessed via webmail. Click here for information on how to access your webmail.
Q. Do the Broadband Towers pose a safety or environmental risk?
A. Any emissions from tower sites are significantly lower than the national standard as set by Health Canada (Safety Code 6). Extensive research has been done by the World Health organization to asses any potential health effects from these towers. The WHO found NO evidence of any negative impact on human health resulting from proximity to a fixed wireless radio antenna. Eastlink abides by all provincial legislation in the construction of towers. This includes protecting water-courses, wetlands and other aspects of the environment that are covered by the Environment Act and its regulations.
Q. Why is Rural High Speed Internet Service more expensive than a traditional dial-up ISP?
A. Rural High Speed Internet networks are more technically advanced than dial-up and provide users with access to significantly more capacity for data transmission, which allows information to be sent and received faster than any dial-up connection. The investment to build and maintain a Rural High Speed Internet network is significant and gives users access to a range of additional features and benefits not offered by dial-up. Dial-up connections are limited by the capacity of the telephone networks and only offer limited capacity and data transmission.
Q. In the event of a storm, is there a chance this tower could buckle or topple over?
A. The towers are constructed according to all Industry Canada regulations to ensure every safety precaution is adhered to. Guyed wires are attached to provide additional support.
Q. Does Eastlink plan to add additional equipment to these towers to launch cell phone service?
A. Our focus is on installing the necessary equipment to deliver Rural High Speed Internet service.
Q. Did Eastlink hold public meetings to review the construction process and design of the towers with residents?
A. Yes. Eastlink met with municipalities to determine the appropriate public consultation process and held public meetings accordingly.
Q. If I am in a cell phone ‘dead zone’, will I be in a High Speed dead zone too?
A. Eastlink’s Rural High Speed Internet service operates using a completely separate network and is unaffected by cellular ‘dead zones’.
Q. Can weather conditions interrupt my Rural High Speed Internet Service?
A. The equipment used in Rural High Speed Internet networks is remarkably reliable in poor weather conditions. Some interference could however be experienced during electrical storms and we would recommend that all electronic equipment be turned off and unplugged during an electrical storm.
Q. Can common household devices interfere with my Rural High Speed Internet service?
A. Rural High Speed Internet operates using radio frequencies. Many newer wireless enabled devices have been designed so that these signals will not interfere. However, devices operating at 900 Mhz (i.e. cordless phones) may experience some interference.
Troubleshooting
I’m unable to connect to the Internet
- First, check that all cables are properly connected. If everything looks OK with your cables, try rebooting your wireless antenna.
- Like your computer, your wireless antenna will need to be reset from time to time. To reboot, shut off your computer first and then turn off or unplug the power supply to your wireless antenna or router. Leave the power unplugged for a few minutes and then turn it back on. Restart your computer.
- If you are still unable to connect, please call our tech support at 1-888-345-1111 - Option 2, then 4.
My system is very slow.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, including:
- Too many tasks and applications running simultaneously and overloading your system. Try using MSCONFIG, Startup to stop applications from automatically running at system startup. Only do this is if you know what you’re doing.
- Viruses – be sure you are using a good antivirus tool. Programs like AVG or Avast are free to download.
- You can also try testing your speed, although speed tests can be misleading and are not always accurate. If you do wish to test your internet speed, we recommend Speedtest.net.
- If you are still having problems, please call our tech support at 1-888-345-1111 - Option 2, then 4.