YELLOWKNIFE – Bell subsidiary Northwestel announced Wednesday it has launched fibre internet in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, making it the northernmost community in Canada to have fibre technology.
Northwestel customers in Tuktoyaktuk can now access high-speed, unlimited fibre internet with speeds up to 50 Mbps, up from 15 Mbps previously, says a press release.
“We’re very proud to bring in-community fibre to the first Arctic Ocean community,” Northwestel president Curtis Shaw said in the release. “Technology like this helps break down barriers to distance education, virtual health care and enables more participation in the global economy.”
The fibre upgrades in Tuktoyaktuk are part of Northwestel’s Every Community Project, a three-year project to bring high-speed unlimited internet to 10,000 homes across the Northwest Territories and Yukon, the release explains. These improvements are being funded by the CRTC Broadband Fund as well as Northwestel’s own significant investments, the release adds.
Northwestel recently announced it had launched fibre internet in the Yukon communities of Pelly Crossing and Carmacks in September, and Ross River and Faro in August, also as part of its Every Community Project. At that time, Northwestel said it plans to upgrade four more Yukon communities — Tagish, Carcross, Stewart Crossing and Mayo — to fibre technology later this year.
