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Faster Internet promised

Federalgovernmentpledges$305milliontoincreasedownloadspeedsin
Northernandruralcommunities
DaronLetts
NorthernNewsServices
PublishedFriday,February14,2014
NWT/NUNAVUT
"ThosewhowanttoseethefutureofthiscountryshouldlookNorth,"PrimeMinisterStephen
HarpertoldCanadiansduringhisannualNortherntourinAugust2012.
Thatmaybe,butNorthernersandNorthern
businessesconnectingonlinewiththesouth
arefetteredbylonglagtimesandhigh
bandwidthcosts,limitingtheirabilitytokeep
pacewithmuchoftherestofNorthAmerica
andwitheachother,aneconomichandicap
underlinedbytheCRTC's2013
CommunicationsMonitoringReport.
Thisshouldchangeinthenearfuture,
accordingtolastweek'sfederalbudget.
TheFeb.11budgetpledged$305millionover
fiveyearsto"extendandenhancebroadband
internetserviceforCanadiansinruraland
Northerncommunities."Thefunding
commitmentadvancesapromisemadeduring
thegovernment's2013speechfromthe
throne.
This"interimstep"isawelcomemoveto
DeanProctor,chiefdevelopmentofficerfor
YellowknifebasedSSIMicro,whichsupplies
broadbandInternetaccesstoNunavutand
muchoftheNWTthroughitsQiniq,Airware
andSkylinebrands.

SSIMicro'ssatellitedishesintheNWT,suchasthis
oneinFortSimpson,areaimedattheAnikF3
satelliteinorbitabovetheequator.Thefederal
governmentplanstorevealdetailsofaprogramto
improveInternetaccessinNortherncommunitiesin
comingmonths.photocourtesyofSSIMicro

"Thisisvery,verygoodnews,"hesaid."It'saconstantbattletoaddressthecostofbackbone
intothesatellitetransportandNorthwestel'sfibretransportinandoutofthecommunities.
There'saneedtoaddressonalongtermbasisthatcostofbackbonetodeliverbetterand
moreaffordablebroadband,notonlyforconsumers,butalsoforgovernmentandforbusiness."
The$305millionisintendedtobringNorthernInternetspeedsuptofivemegabitspersecond
peruserinoutlyingcommunities,asstatedinthebudgetdocument.
Comparethatto2012,whenfewerthanhalfofNorthernershadaccesstothatdownload
speed,atveryhighcostand,lastyear,whennoneofthecommunitieswiththefastestInternet
speedswereservedbysatellite,accordingtotheCRTC.
InsouthernCanada,94percentofInternetusershadaccesstodownloadspeedsinexcessof
fivemegabitspersecondlastyear.Asfarbackas2011,theaverageresidentialdownload
speedinsouthernregionswas11.5megabitspersecond.Theaverageisnowabove12
megabitspersecond,accordingtoProctor.
Inthebudget,thefederalgovernmentstatedthatdetailsofitsplantoimproveNorthern
Internetaccesswillberevealed"incomingmonths."

"Weunderstandfromthegovernmentthatoverthecomingweeksandmonths,andhopefullyit
willbeweeks,thedetailsintermsofhowtheseinvestmentswillbemadeinbroadbandinthe
Northwillbeworkedout,"Proctorsaid.
"Allthatbeingsaid,whenyoulookatcomparableserviceinthesouth,whichissomethingthe
NWTgovernmentinparticularwantstoseeeveryhouseholdreceive,there'sstillmoreworkto
bedone."
SSIMicrodeliversbroadbandInternetaccesstoapproximately50Northerncommunities,
representingall25communitiesinNunavutandmostNWTcommunitiesThecompanyisalso
contractedbytheNunavutGovernmenttobringwideareanetworkdataservicestoNunavut
communities.
Wewelcomeyouropinions.Clickheretoemailalettertotheeditor.