After finding success in the blueberry business, John Bragg, founder of Eastlink, followed his entrepreneurial instincts and invested in a cable license. Officially established in 1971, Eastlink has grown from a small town cable provider to a national telecommunications organization, serving communities across seven Canadian provinces and beyond.

Standing Out from the Crowd
Rooted in Amherst, N.S., Eastlink received one of the first cable licenses from CRTC. Initial expansion involved providing cables services across Nova Scotia and P.E.I., but the growth didn’t end there.

By the late 1990s, Eastlink added Internet and local phone to their product mix, becoming the first cable company in Canada to offer phone services. This brought new competition to the area, giving consumers a choice, and established Eastlink as a market leader.

In 2000, Eastlink once again showed its innovative spirit when it became the first cable company in North America to offer bundled services for TV, phone and internet, all on one bill. Years later they introduced TV Channel Exchange, allowing customers to add and remove channels on the fly; another evolution for Canadian cable.

Their next new venture began in 2008 with the exploration of mobile phone service. This became official in 2013 when Eastlink launched a 100 per cent LTE mobile phone network in Nova Scotia (yet another first).

Growth continued over the years as Eastlink invested in expanding its fibre network across Canada to serve Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

 

 

Innovative, Entrepreneurial Minds
The Bragg family credits their success to an entrepreneurial mindset and an innovative, dedicated team. Seizing opportunities, swift decision-making and pushing their limits led to steady growth and ground-breaking success.

What started as a small, family-owned business in rural Nova Scotia has grown to a team of over 1,300 employees. It’s said that founder John Bragg believes this to be his greatest accomplishment – growing a talented team.

 

 

Dedicated Homegrown Roots
Today, Eastlink is headquartered in Halifax, N.S. and offers a complete line of technology and communication services including: Internet, TV, mobile, phone, security, data services and smart home solutions for consumers, business and the public sector.

Constant over the years has been Eastlink’s dedication to providing superior customer service and supporting rural regions in Atlantic Canada. To ensure community remains a priority, local stories, news and events are showcased on Eastlink Community TV.

As for future growth, Eastlink’s Executive Vice Chair, Lee Bragg, had this to say: “I hope we can manage to grow the company the same way in the next 50 years!” •