Northwestel, Bell connect all 25 Nunavut communities to internet and LTE

Bell and its subsidiary Northwestel have now connected all 25 Nunavut communities to 15Mbps internet and LTE wireless services.

A press release indicated that the two carriers are using the open-access Tamarmik Nunaliit network to deliver this service and are operating on Telesat ka-Band satellite technology, which can provide up to 20 times more internet capacity than what was available before.

“Northwestel is thrilled to announce that our Tamarmik Nunaliit network is fully connected and delivering high-speed Internet across Nunavut,” Paul Gillard, vice-president of business markets at Northwestel, said in the release.

“This achievement in network technology will help bolster the quality of life for Nunavummiut through increased connectivity for schools and health centres, and enhanced access for residents and businesses. It has also been made possible as a direct result of many partners working successfully together to achieve the shared goal of improving connectivity in every community.”

The two carriers were able to create infrastructure for all 25 communities within the two year period that it said it would. The project was partially funded by Bell and by the government’s Connect to Innovate program.

Residents in Arviat, Cambridge Bay, Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet will also be able to order the same services through Northwestel, the release indicated. It added that residents in other Nunavut communities can get access to fixed wireless internet through Bell.

Services from Bell and Northwestel are “offered at the same price” and offer speeds up to “six times faster than what was previously available and include 100 gigabytes of data usage.”

Source: Northwestel