INUVIK, NT – A new 1,154 kilometre fibre optic line in the Northwest Territories is now online, offering high-speed Internet access to communities in the Mackenzie Valley region.
Contracted by the provincial government, construction began in 2015 and wrapped up in March. The $82 million Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link (MVFL) between High Level, AB and Inuvik connects six communities to high-speed internet and state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure, with possible future access to an additional five communities in the region using microwave systems.
In addition to improved delivery of health, education, and social services to these remote communities, the MVFL project will support the further expansion of the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility (ISSF) by its international partners, positioning the facility as one of the leading sites for tracking and receiving real-time data from polar-orbiting satellites used for scientific, mapping, weather surveillance, and other purposes.
Northern Lights General Partnership, a consortium comprised of Ledcor Developments, Ledcor Technical Services, and Northwestel, will maintain and operate the system for 20 years.
“The completion of the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link will help to facilitate economic development and diversification”, said finance minister Robert McLeod, in the news release. “Our government is working to spark economic growth across all sectors. The completion of this project helps to foster an environment in which companies and individuals feel confident investing in Northern opportunities and jobs.”
In photo: A Vermeer T555 saw cutting the cable trench south of Inuvik
