Northwestel announces completion of Canada North Fibre Loop.
Over the past decade, Northwestel has invested more than $550 million in northern telecommunications infrastructure. Today marks a historic infrastructure milestone for the telecom leader and the North.
November 26th, 2024, Whitehorse, YT – Northwestel announces the completion of the Canada North Fibre Loop (CNFL). This 3,857-kilometre fibre loop protects most Northerners in the Yukon and Northwest Territories from internet and cellular service disruptions caused by major infrastructure damage.
The fibre loop is comprised of three major routes:
• Northwestel’s 1,930 km fibre network running through the two western territorial capitals
• The Government of Northwest Territories’ 1,149 km Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link from Fort Simpson to Inuvik
• The Government of Yukon’s 778 km Dempster Fibre Line, the most recently constructed route, between Dawson City and Inuvik
These projects were funded by Territorial and Federal government programs as well as Northwestel’s own significant investments.
The growing impacts of climate change have resulted in significant disruptions to critical infrastructure in Northern Canada. The past few years saw unprecedented wildfires and flooding in the territories. Consequentially, the damage to fibre lines has resulted in lengthy and impactful disruptions to telecommunications services. With the CNFL in place, if telecommunications infrastructure were damaged, internet and cellular traffic will flow in the opposite direction, ensuring minimal to no disruption for households and businesses along the loop.
The last component of the CNFL was the Government of Yukon’s Dempster Fibre Line. Substantial completion of the line was announced on September 13th, 2024. Since taking over the operation of the line, Northwestel has extensively tested the Canada North Fibre Loop.
The Canada North Fibre Loop spans many northern Indigenous traditional territories. The guidance and traditional knowledge shared with Northwestel by Indigenous rightsholders throughout the recent rapid expansion of fibre infrastructure has been critical in bringing the CNFL to life. Northwestel wishes to express sincere gratitude for their continued support and trust.
“Today is a long-awaited day for Northwestel and our northern customers. Threats to critical infrastructure are only growing across Canada, and private sector and government partners must come together to protect it. The Canada North Fibre Loop is a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together in true partnership. Northwestel is proud to deliver this next level of reliability and resiliency to our customers in Northern Canada,” Curtis Shaw, President, Northwestel
“The Government of Yukon is happy to see the Dempster Fibre Line fully commissioned, providing increased internet redundancy and security for Yukoners and the North. This milestone represents more than just infrastructure—it reflects our commitment to enhancing resilient, connected communities, empowering people and businesses, and strengthening the digital future of the North.” Nils Clarke, Minister of Highways and Public Works, Government of Yukon.
“The Canada North Fibre Loop represents a strategic step in strengthening the foundational infrastructure essential for high-speed broadband access and economic opportunities for northern communities. This milestone underscores the importance of collaborative efforts between government and industry to safeguard connectivity across our vast territories.” Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Finance, Government of the Northwest Territories.
“Today's milestone highlights our government's commitment to providing fast and affordable broadband connectivity for Northern communities. The completion of the Canada North Fibre Loop enhances critical infrastructure with a redundancy line, ensuring reliable connectivity and supporting the North's growth and resilience.” Dr. Brendan Hanley, MP for Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
While this is a significant milestone, Northwestel continues to advocate for additional telecommunications protection and redundancy in Northern Canada. Northwestel now has connections into Alaska to draw on more capacity and has partnered with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, who together are seeking partners to bring submarine fibre under Great Slave Lake to further protect Yellowknife.
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About Northwestel
Northwestel is the largest telecommunications provider in Canada’s North, serving 97 communities across the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia and Alberta. Beginning in 2020, Northwestel’s Every Community project significantly improved broadband services for northern residents, governments, and businesses using the latest fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technologies. Now, over 95% of homes in the Yukon and NWT have access to high-speed, unlimited fibre-powered internet, either fibre to the home or fibre to the neighbourhood. Northwestel is proud to provide service on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples across Canada’s North. In 2024, Sixty North Unity, a consortium of Indigenous organizations, announced its plans to purchase Northwestel and make it a wholly-owned Indigenous company, which will make it the largest Indigenous-owned telecommunications in the world.
Contact
Northwestel Media Relations
media@nwtel.ca
(867) 455-4209
