Island Telephone Company

The Island Telephone Company Limited

Company type	Private
Industry	Telecommunications
Predecessor	The Telephone Company of Prince Edward Island
Founded	1929
Defunct	1999
Fate	Merged to form Aliant Telecom Inc. (now Bell Aliant)
Successor	Bell Aliant
Headquarters	Charlottetown , Canada
Area served	Prince Edward Island
Products	Telephone services, telecommunications

The Island Telephone Company Limited (commonly known as IslandTel) was a telecommunications firm headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, operating from 1929 until its integration into Bell Aliant in 1999.

History

IslandTel's roots trace back to The Telephone Company of Prince Edward Island, established in 1885, which mainly served the Charlottetown region alongside various independent telephone providers scattered throughout the province.

20th century

In 1910, the Maritime Telephone and Telegraph Company (MT&T), based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, installed an underwater cable connecting Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island with Pictou, Nova Scotia, commencing operations in 1911. After a fire severely damaged its Charlottetown offices in September 1911, MT&T secured a majority stake by December of that year, forging a long-term telecommunications alliance between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. The enterprise was officially renamed The Island Telephone Company Limited under provincial law in April 1929.

IslandTel grew by acquiring competitors, ultimately unifying the island’s 45 independent telephone companies when it purchased its final rival, South New Glasgow Rural Telephone Company, in 1974.

During the 1980s, the firm adopted the brand name IslandTel, and later, in 1998, changed its corporate identity to Island Telecom Inc. to signify its expansion beyond conventional telephone services.

Merger

In 1999, shareholders of Island Telecom consented to a consolidation with fellow Atlantic Canadian members of the Stentor Alliance—NBTel, MT&T, and NewTel Communications—resulting in the creation of Aliant Telecom Inc., which is presently known as Bell Aliant.