YELLOWKNIFE – Bell subsidiary Northwestel said Monday that it has launched fibre internet in Aklavik and Nahanni Butte in the Northwest Territories.
The fibre will allow for speeds of up to the federal standard of 50 Mbps download, which is up from the previous 15 Mbps the communities to which the communities had access.
“We know how important fast, unlimited Internet access is to northerners,” Curtis Shaw, president of Northwestel, said in a release. “It can improve access to health care, distance education, and other services that enable people to stay in their own communities. We’re happy to now provide this level of connectivity to Nahanni Butte and Aklavik.”
The telecom said it plans to complete fibre builds, funded in part by the CRTC’s Broadband Fund, in 17 more communities this year, including six in the NWT.
The launch is part of the telecom’s Every Community Project, a three-year goal to bring high-speed internet to 10,000 homes across the NWT and Yukon.
