NORTHWEST TERRITORIES – Communities in the north served by Northwestel are expected to have internet powered by the low earth orbit satellites of OneWeb, according to the Bell subsidiary today.
Ten communities are currently served by geostationary satellites, those flying higher up in the sky and which are approaching their end-of-life, a release said.
That’s why the company is seeking new and better satellite technology to replace those older technologies.
“The work to bring new LEO satellite technology to these communities was completed within just five months of the announcement of the existing satellite’s imminent end-of-life date,” Northwestel said in the release.
“In these communities, four OneWeb antennas are secured on large, raised, steel platforms,” it added. “The dishes track a constellation of small washing-machine sized satellites that orbit the earth 35x closer than a typical geostationary satellite. Northwestel’s existing in-community network then carries broadband from the central hub right to homes and businesses.”
LEO satellites fly closer to the earth, allowing for faster speeds and quicker connectivity.
Northwestel said it plans to upgrade the remaining communities this month.
Communities that will receive the new service include the Northwest Territories communities of Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk, Colville Lake, Gameti, Wekweeti, Lutselk’e, and Sambaa K’e. The two other communities are Old Crow in the Yukon and Fort Ware in British Columbia.
Photo provided by Northwestel
