WHITEHORSE and YELLOWKNIFE — Bell subsidiary Northwestel announced today it has marked the completion of its 2022 fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) projects with community celebrations in Burwash Landing and Haines Junction, Yukon — two of 17 communities in Yukon and Northwest Territories (NWT) that received FTTH service this year through Northwestel’s Every Community Project.
“Over 80% of Yukon and NWT homes now have access to unlimited high-speed Internet that meets or exceeds the CRTC’s universal service objective of 50/10 Mbps unlimited service,” reads a press release. “The majority have access to the North’s fastest home Internet, up to 500 Mbps download.”
Northwestel’s FTTH expansion is the result of its own significant investments and funding from the CRTC Broadband Fund, the release says.
Northwestel plans to roll out FTTH service to 18 more Yukon and NWT communities in 2023, according to the release. “Yukon in-community fibre assets will be owned by 13 Yukon First Nations through the Shared Pathways Network,” the release says.
The company’s president, Curtis Shaw, said during a speech at last month’s Canadian Telecom Summit that Northwestel plans to increase its fibre over the next 12 months to boost the percentage of households in Yukon and NWT with access to the minimum service objective speeds and beyond to 90%.
The communities who received FTTH service from Northwestel in 2022 include the Yukon communities of Beaver Creek, Burwash Landing, Champagne, Destruction Bay, Haines Junction, Teslin, and the Whitehorse areas of Ibex Valley, MacPherson and Hidden Valley, and the NWT communities of Behchokǫ̀, Déline, Dettah, Fort Good Hope, Fort Liard, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Tulita and Wrigley.
The 18 communities that will receive FTTH service in 2023 include Carmacks, Faro, Mayo, Pelly Crossing, Ross River, Rural Carcross, Stewart Crossing, Tagish, and Marsh Lake/Judas Creek in Yukon, and Aklavik, Enterprise, Fort McPherson, Fort Resolution, Kakisa, Nahanni Butte, Tsiigehtchic, Tuktoyaktuk and Whatì in NWT.
Northwestel says it is also bringing fibre to the neighbourhoods of Mendenhall, Canyon Creek and Takhini River Subdivision in Yukon.
Photo courtesy of Northwestel shows a community event at the Da Ku Culture Centre celebrating the introduction of FTTH service in Haines Junction, Yukon.
