The Government of Canada is providing over $2 million in funding to connect residents in the Northwest Territories (NWT) with high-speed internet and cellular access.
A majority of the funding, over $1.9 million, is going towards connecting 152 households in Whatì with high-speed internet access. The government has tasked Bell-owned service provider Northwestel with completing the project.
Furthermore, SSi Micro, a wireless provider, has received $480,000 to bring cell access to a repositionable communications shelter in the hunting and fishing grounds located near Fort Providence. The federal government says this will allow communities to stay connected wherever they are on the land.
“Connecting Indigenous communities to high-speed internet and mobile coverage is a top priority,” Michael McLeod, the MP for the NWT, said in a statement. “These projects bring us closer to our goal and honour our commitment to ensure that Indigenous communities are not left behind.”
Funding for the two projects comes from the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF), a program focusing on internet and mobile connectivity projects in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. The government launched the program in November 2020, and by December 2023, the UBF paid for 295 projects across the country.
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