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Northwestel Completes Construction of Fibre Link to Southern Canada
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Northwestel has completed the construction of a full fibre optic cable link from the Yukon to southern Canada. Telecommunications signals are now being carried over the new link, allowing for higher capacity services to Yukon and British Columbia customers, as well as customers in the Mackenzie-Beaufort region of the Northwest Territories.
The three-year, $14 million project laid fibre optic cable over a 320-kilometre section of the Alaska Highway between Fort Nelson and Mould Creek (near the Liard Hot Springs) in British Columbia. Except for this section, the majority of Northwestel’s telecommunications services south of Whitehorse were carried over fibre optic cable. This was the only remaining section without a fibre link. Prior to the completion of the construction project, telecommunications passing through that area were carried over microwave radio.
“The closure of this last gap in our fibre optic cable link to the south is a significant accomplishment for Northwestel,” said Paul Flaherty, Northwestel President and Chief Executive Officer. “This is one of the largest projects that our company has ever done. We are extremely pleased that this challenging project was completed successfully and ahead of schedule, thanks to the high quality work and dedication of our employees, our sub-contractors and various levels of government.”
Preliminary work on this project began in 2006. Construction was completed in late July 2009.
Over the past six years, the total cost to provide complete fibre connectivity between the Yukon and southern Canada was more than $40 million.
“The completion of this project will provide greater bandwidth, higher speed Internet services and some exciting new Internet packages for our customers,” said Flaherty. “Our customers have been asking for higher speeds and increased value, and these improvements allow us meet those needs.”
The project is also bringing improved service to customers in Toad River and Muncho Lake in B.C. “Residents in those communities were previously served by satellite. With the completion of this project, we are able to launch our Internet service there,” added Flaherty.
Northwestel provides complete telecommunications solutions and entertainment services in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, northern British Columbia and High Level, Alberta. The company’s operations span nearly 4 million square kilometres of the most remote and rugged areas of Canada.
