Citywide Communications has sold all its customers to Telus, marking the loss of yet another local internet service provider. This comes on the heels of Seaside Communications and Cross Country TV—both Nova Scotia companies—being acquired by Rogers last year. I am sad to see such great companies like Citywide being bought up. At one point, they were leading the way in fighting the big guys to drive down the price of telecommunications. This is a loss for Nova Scotians and part of a sad trend in our industry. The larger telecommunications companies have been buying up smaller ones at a faster rate than ever before. A few notable examples from Rogers and Telus over the past five years include:

Rogers:

• Seaside Communications: In August 2021, Rogers acquired Seaside Communications, a Nova Scotia-based ISP serving communities such as Glace Bay, New Waterford, and Baddeck.
• Cross Country TV: In March 2022, Rogers acquired Cross Country TV, a regional internet and television service provider based in Nova Scotia.
• Shaw Communications: In April 2023, Rogers completed its acquisition of Shaw Communications, significantly expanding its presence in Western Canada.
• Comwave: In November 2023, Rogers acquired Comwave, an independent internet and phone service provider operating across Canada and the United States.

Telus:

• Start.ca: In early 2023, TELUS acquired London, Ontario-based Start.ca, an independent ISP known for its customer-centric services.
• Altima Telecom: In June 2022, TELUS acquired Montreal-based Altima Telecom, which provided services across Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia.
• NETAGO: Effective March 1, 2022, TELUS acquired NETAGO, an internet service provider based in Hanna, Alberta, serving areas including Special Areas, County of Stettler, Starland County, and the MD of Acadia.
• Citywide Communications: In early 2025, TELUS expanded its presence in Nova Scotia by acquiring Citywide Communications, a local ISP.

With these acquisitions, Purple Cow Internet is now one of the last independent ISPs in Nova Scotia, and we said NO to selling out to the big guys.

From past acquisitions of smaller ISPs in Nova Scotia, we’ve seen serious downsides for customers, competition, and the industry. Some of the impacts we’ve noticed include:

1. Rising Prices: We’ve seen prices gradually increase as there are fewer choices.
2. Worsened Customer Service: Customer service has been outsourced to overseas call centers, creating a worse experience for customers.
3. Less Innovation and Fewer Network Upgrades: Without pressure to compete, there’s less incentive for innovation and infrastructure improvements.

With the news now public about the Citywide acquisition, we’re already seeing new customers switching to Purple Cow to stay local. In fact, we’ve seen more customers switch over than ever before.

With growing pressure from the US to keep things local, this has been a good reminder of the importance of supporting local businesses. I believe this is one of the main reasons why so many Nova Scotians chose Citywide in the first place—they liked knowing their dollars were going to support people working in their own communities. With the sale of Citywide, customers now know their funds are supporting another province on the other side of Canada.

Another reason we’re seeing so many customers switch over is because Citywide has not informed their customers of the sale. They’re staying tight-lipped about it, which breaks trust between the company and its customers. I would like to ask Citywide to come out and publicly announce the sale to Telus, as Telus has already announced the purchase. I believe this transparency is owed to your loyal client base.

With all that being said, I believe it is more important than ever to support your local businesses as much as possible. Nowadays, the big guys are getting bigger, and that’s reducing choice, stifling innovation, and lowering customer satisfaction for all of us.

Bradley Farquhar
CEO - Prple Cow Internet