INUVIK, NWT — Far north telecom provider Northwestel is extending its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) service to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, which will be Northwestel’s second FTTH community in the northern territories, following the launch of FTTH in Hay River, N.T. earlier this year.
Inuvik (pop. 3,200) will also be the first community north of the Arctic Circle to have access to FTTH service, says the news release.
“Northwestel is making significant upgrades to our telecommunications network in Inuvik. We will be replacing aging copper wiring to people’s homes with fibre,” says Northwestel president Curtis Shaw, in the release. “This is a milestone achievement. With these upgrades we will be able to launch Canada’s first full Fibre-to-the-home community in the Arctic Circle.”
Northwestel did not disclose costs, but says in an email the company is funding the FTTH network build entirely itself, as it is not receiving funds for the project through the federal government’s Connect to Innovate program.
Northwestel and its project partner, Valard Construction, will be working in Inuvik this summer to replace existing network equipment and connect new fibre-optic lines directly to the outside of people’s homes. Personnel will follow strict Covid-19 protocols during construction, working from a safety plan approved by the government of Northwest Territories’ Protect NWT public health staff, says the release.
More information about the Inuvik FTTH project can be found here.
