The federal government last week announced more than $86 million in funding for a Northwestel project that promises to bring unlimited high-speed internet access to 11,650 households in Nunavut, reaching all 25 communities in the territory.
The funding is being provided through the Canadian government’s $3.225-billion Universal Broadband Fund, which is designed to help provide internet access with speeds of at least 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload to all Canadian households by 2030.
With an expected completion date of March 2029, the Nunavut project will see Northwestel partner with Telesat to secure high-speed internet capacity through the satellite operator’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, Telesat Lightspeed. In a year-end blog post, Telesat chief commercial officer Glenn Katz said his company is targeting the launch of the first two Telesat Lightspeed Pathfinder satellites in late 2026, with a regular launch cadence to bring a total of 156 satellites into operation by the end of 2027.
In 2019, the government of Canada and Telesat entered into a $600-million agreement to secure high-speed internet capacity through the constellation. Through the agreement, the Canadian government will make capacity available to internet service providers like Northwestel at a reduced rate to help connect the most challenging rural and remote communities, including those in Canada’s far north.
“Nothing happens in the North without partnership — and connectivity is no exception,” Tammy April, vice president of strategic growth at Northwestel, said in the government’s press release. “We’re grateful to have a Canadian partner like Telesat and the support of the Government of Canada to provide cutting-edge and sovereign satellite solutions. Together, we’re proud to stand on the brink of closing the digital divide in satellite-served communities once and for all.”
“Telesat and Northwestel have decades of experience working together to provide essential connectivity to Canada’s North,” said Michèle Beck, senior vice president of Canadian sales at Telesat, in a statement. “This announcement today is an important new chapter in our partnership as we work together to deliver secure, high-speed sovereign connectivity to Nunavut’s communities. Telesat Lightspeed will support the digital transformation needed to connect homes, businesses and institutions, helping to ensure northern communities have the connectivity and, more importantly, the opportunity to grow and prosper.”
The Canadian government says it is on track to meet its goal of 100 per cent of Canadian households having access to high-speed internet by 2030.
