Federal investment of over $13 million will provide up to 869 homes with high-speed Internet access
Reliable and affordable high-speed Internet is essential for all Canadians. It enables access to important online resources, connects friends and families, and drives economic growth and innovation. This is why the Government of Canada is helping bring high-speed Internet access to underserved communities-including Indigenous communities-in the Northwest Territories.
Today, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, joined by the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced over $13 million in federal funding for a Northwestel project to bring high-speed Internet access to up to 869 Indigenous households in up to 9 northern communities across the Northwest Territories.
This funding is provided through the Universal Broadband Fund, a program designed to ensure that Canadians in rural, remote and Indigenous communities have access to reliable high-speed Internet.
Northwestel will also partner with Telesat to secure high-speed Internet capacity through the company's low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, Telesat Lightspeed. The Government of Canada and Telesat entered into a $600 million agreement to secure high-speed Internet capacity through the constellation, which will use next-generation technology to significantly improve connectivity across the country. Through the agreement, the Government of Canada is making capacity available to Internet service providers like Northwestel to help connect the most challenging rural and remote communities, including those in Canada's North and Arctic regions.
Better, more reliable connectivity means easier access to important online resources, bridging the digital divide and increasing safety for Indigenous communities.
The Government of Canada has committed to ensuring that every household in Canada has access to high-speed Internet by 2030, and we are on track to meet this connectivity target. This project will build toward that goal, and the government will continue to invest in infrastructure that creates new opportunities and makes sure communities can benefit from all of Canada's potential.
