YELLOWKNIFE – The Northwest Territories (NWT) Broadband Infrastructure project wrapped up this week with every NWT community receiving 4G wireless and high-speed Internet service.
The Government of Canada contributed $14.8 million to the NWT Broadband Infrastructure Phase 2 project through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), and Falcon Communications contributed $19.4 million, with support from NorthwesTel and the provincial government of the Northwest Territories.
This project, which delivered high-speed Internet connectivity and wireless mobility to all 33 communities in the Territory, addressed gaps in the delivery of enhanced Internet by providing increased usage packages, new satellite-based DSL Internet services, and advanced mobile Internet (4G) services.
“The completion of this ambitious project shows what can be accomplished when governments, communities and private sector partners work together to improve people’s lives”, said NorthwesTel president Curtis Shaw, in a statement. “NorthwesTel is proud to have partnered with Falcon Communications and the Government of Canada to deliver faster Internet speeds, more bandwidth and wireless mobility to every single community in the NWT.”
“We have overcome many challenges with an end result that NorthwesTel’s network is now able to provide true broadband Internet (as defined by Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) in all NWT communities”, added Falcon Communications president and CEO Darrell Beaulieu. “This project has consistently met or exceeded all targeted timelines and performance standards, allowing more than $3 million to be re‑profiled to move Deline, previously the largest satellite‑based community in the Northwest Territories, to microwave‑based service and providing additional upgrades to the Mackenzie Delta.”
