Backgrounder: Government of Canada to help bring high-speed Internet access to communities in the Northwest Territories
Backgrounder
On May 15, 2026, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, alongside the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced over $13 million in funding to bring high-speed Internet access to up to nine communities in the Northwest Territories.
Here is an overview of the Northwest Territories' connectivity status:
- As of May 2026, 85.7% of Northwest Territories households have access to high-speed Internet of at least 50 megabits per second download and 10 megabits per second upload (50/10 Mbps+).
- In 2021, 67.3% of Northwest Territories households had access to high-speed Internet (50/10 Mbps+).
- By the end of 2026, 94.5% of Northwest Territories households are projected to have access to high-speed Internet (50/10 Mbps+).
The following communities will benefit from improved Internet access thanks to the Northwestel project funded by the Government of Canada:
| Internet service provider | Federal funding | Number of households to be served | Communities to benefit | Technology | Estimated completion date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northwestel, UBF-06899 |
$13,370,072 |
Up to 869 |
Colville Lake (Behdzi Ahda'' First Nation), Gamètì First Nation, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Trout Lake (Sambaa K'e First Nation), Wekweètì (Dechi Laot'i First Nations) |
Fibre and low Earth orbit satellites |
March 2028 |
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News Release: Canada expanding high-speed Internet access in the Northwest Territories