FibreOP gets even faster; Bell Aliant sets pace for the future with another speed boost

Company turns up speeds for existing FibreOP customers automatically and for free.

HALIFAX, April 23, 2013 /CNW/ - Bell Aliant Inc. (TSX: BA) once again boosts residential FibreOP^TM Internet speeds. Today the region's fastest Internet service got faster with a surprise automatic speed increase. Now people can do the things they love - surfing, watching, playing, listening and sharing - faster than ever before. FibreOP's flexibility and built-in innovation has allowed three speed increases for customers since last year.

FibreOP offers Atlantic Canada's fastest Internet with download speeds of up to 250 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 30 Mbps. The FibreOP 20/15 Mbps tier increased to 50/30 Mbps. The 50/30 Mbps tier is now 80/30 Mbps and the 80/30 Mbps package increased to 175/30 Mbps. Existing customers have already been upgraded automatically and for free.

"Offering the fastest Internet isn't just about bragging rights. It's about taking the technology to the next level. There's nothing but open road ahead of us," said Andre LeBlanc, vice president, residential markets, Bell Aliant. "Today FibreOP customers have even faster Internet - speeds that let them do incredible things.  And once they've experienced the direct fibre-to-the-home difference, they'll never want to go back."

Faster download and upload speeds make a big difference:

• For music lovers: The Beatles White Album can be downloaded in less than nine seconds. Or the entire Rolling Stones discography in less than six minutes.
• For gamers: FIFA 2013 for PC means a 10.5-minute download.
• For movie-lovers: Download The Matrix trilogy in less than ten minutes or Forrest Gump in less than five minutes.
• For social media users: Download one million tweets in 14 seconds, upload 100 Facebook photos in 20 seconds or upload 2,000 Instagram photos in less than seven minutes.
• For the history, current affairs and geography buffs, 100 years of National Geographic maps could be available in less than 4.5 minutes, or download 100 CBC Radio 3 podcasts in less than seven minutes, or the Top 100 TED Talks in 11.5 minutes.

Bell Aliant's unstoppable fibre-to-the-home network continues to set the pace in Atlantic Canada. More than 100,000 customers already enjoy the awesome capabilities and features of FibreOP: popular social TV apps like Facebook, Twitter and The Weather Network app, unlimited downloads and uploads with no data caps and Wi-Fi signal strength to make it all possible.

The advantage of a fibre-to-the-home network is how it continues to expand to meet the growing communications needs of Canadian households. File sharing, uploading and video streaming have become commonplace and demand for speed and bandwidth will only increase as the number of people online and Wi-Fi enabled devices-per-household grows. FibreOP is designed to grow with those demands. More than 650,000 homes and businesses have access to the fastest Internet on the market- and by the end of 2013, that figure will be 800,000.

Bell Aliant kicked off the speed boost with a social media contest. FibreOP in Five encourages Bell Aliant's nearly 25,000 Facebook fans to imagine the Internet of the future. The winner will be chosen from those who submitted their futuristic ideas of how fast Internet will help them realize their dreams faster. The winner will be awarded a trip for two to Grand Prix weekend in Montreal.

About Bell Aliant
Bell Aliant (TSX: BA) 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™ 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 customer service, choice and convenience.

SOURCE: BELL ALIANT INC.

English
Sarah Dawson
Bell Aliant Corporate Affairs
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Christine Manore
Bell Aliant Corporate Affairs
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