YELLOWKNIFE – Bell subsidiary Northwestel said Wednesday it will triple the available internet speeds in eight Northwest Territories (NWT) satellite communities over the next two years, using funding from Canada’s Connect to Innovate (CTI) program and the telecom’s own investments.
Through the CTI program, the federal government has invested almost $5 million in the initiative, according to a Northwestel press release.
The far north ISP says it has already tripled internet speeds in three of the communities – Sambaa K’e, Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok – with the introduction of a new 15 Mbps internet plan, which costs home internet subscribers $129 per month and includes 200 GB of monthly data.
The five remaining communities that will see their internet speeds triple as part of Northwestel’s two-year plan are Sachs Harbour, Colville Lake, Gamètì, Wekweètì and Łutselk’e, according to the release.
Last year, Northwestel began implementing OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) technology in these communities, which has paved the way for the upgraded speeds, the release explains.
“Three times faster Internet in these communities is going to make a huge difference in how our customers connect,” Tammy April, Northwestel’s vice-president of customer experience, said in the release. “Families will have easier access to distance education resources, e-health services, and online entertainment. And for businesses, it’ll allow them to better connect with their customers online.”
