High-speed internet access will be ubiquitous in Nunavut
A project of the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission.
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has announced a set of measures to bring high-speed satellite internet service to all communities in Nunavut.
In 2019, the commission established the Broadband Fund to help underserved rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada. To date, the Fund has already awarded more than CA$ 300 million to develop internet and connectivity in more than 230 communities.
CRTC received numerous communications from Nunavut residents emphasizing that high-speed Internet would improve access to education and health care while helping to preserve Inuit culture and language. Collectively, the new projects will help 28 indigenous communities access communications services.
However, the agency recognizes the importance of establishing a fibre-optic infrastructure in Nunavut, which will take much longer to build. As a first step, funding is being provided to quickly bring high-speed satellite Internet service to the Territory.
CRTC is already, through the Fund, providing funding to Keewaytinook Okimakanak to maintain satellite connectivity in two Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario, and to Northwestel Inc. to provide fiber optic Internet service in Atlin, an Indigenous community in northern British Columbia.
At this time, CRTC is still accepting applications with the goal of submitting a full work plan in 2024.
