VoltaGrid and Beacon AI Centres plan to bring a data centre to Saint John because of the city’s under-used fibre system. A former premier supports the project and says the dark fibre infrastructure comes from innovations made decades ago by NBTel, the former telephone company.
Former premier says city has extraordinary resource for controversial data centre
Nipun Tiwari · CBC News
· Posted: Jan 15, 2026 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 27 minutes ago
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Dark fibre is essentially unused fibre-optic cable, long strands of glass used to transmit information at high speeds. (CBC)
When a U.S. company made its data centre pitch to some concerned Saint John residents late last year, he called the city an untapped “gold mine” for artificial intelligence projects.
The heads of Saint John Industrial Parks and the Fibre Centre in Moncton used similar terms, describing the city as a “hidden gem” and “hidden secret” for AI.
WATCH | Former premier Frank McKenna considers rich legacy of NBTel :
Some see Saint John as hidden gem for data centres
VoltaGrid and Beacon AI Centres want to bring a data centre to Saint John because of its fibre system. » Read More
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