DAWSON CITY, YT and WATSON LAKE, YT, Nov. 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Today Northwestel launched full Fibre Internet service to over 1000 homes in 3 Yukon communities: Dawson City, Watson Lake and Upper Liard. Eligible Yukoners and businesses in these communities now have access to unlimited data and Internet speeds 16 times greater than previously available.
Maximum residential Internet speeds in these communities have increased from 15 Mbps to 250 Mbps (download speed) and now far surpass the CRTC's universal service objective of 50 Mbps. Internet rates will now match those available in the North's major centres.
These are the first fibre upgrades as part of Northwestel's Every Community project, a 3-year plan to bring high-speed unlimited Internet to 10,000 homes in the Yukon and NWT. The Every Community project is the company's largest-ever construction initiative, funded by Northwestel's own significant investments and $62 million in funding from the CRTC Broadband Fund.
"Northwestel is proud to be bringing fibre-to-the-home to Yukon communities for the very first time," said Northwestel President Curtis Shaw. "This is the same leading network technology that connects homes in Canada's largest southern cities and now we're using full fibre connections to close the digital divide in Canada's most northern communities. This is just the beginning and we look forward to connecting customers to fibre in every land-served rural community in the Yukon and NWT over the next 2 years."
There are now 5 northern communities served primarily by fibre with the NWT communities of Hay River and Inuvik upgrading in 2021 through Northwestel's own investments.
Dawson City, Watson Lake and Upper Liard residents will also be the first Yukoners to have access to Northwestel TV Plus which allows customers to watch live HD TV content on a big screen or mobile device for as little as $25 a month. Customers can order the new fibre Internet and TV services online at www.nwtel.ca.
About Northwestel
Northwestel is the largest telecommunications provider in Canada's north, serving 96 communities across Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia and Alberta. In 2020, Northwestel launched a 3-year Every Community plan to significantly improve broadband services for northern residents, governments and businesses using the latest fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technologies. Northwestel is a subsidiary of Bell and provides service on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples across Canada's North.
SOURCE Northwestel
Northwestel media relations: [email protected], 1-867-455-4209
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