Northwestel is a telecommunications provider in Northern Canada that utilizes Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technologies to improve broadband services in remote communities. They partner with companies like OneWeb and Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) to build and manage Satellite Network Portals (SNPs). These partnerships aim to provide stronger connectivity solutions for enterprises and residents in areas with limited infrastructure. Recently, Sixty North Unity, a consortium of Indigenous communities, announced a partnership with Northwestel and Bell Canada to make Northwestel the largest Indigenous-owned telecommunications company globally.
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Telesat signed a multi-year contract with Northwestel in April to provide sovereign broadband connectivity to communities across Nunavut.
The Northwestel and Telesat agreement is not part of the Universal Broadband Fund funding.
Northwestel will use Telesat’s low-Earth orbit constellation to support households, businesses, and institutions, especially in areas without fiber backhaul.
Northwestel will use the Canadian government’s dedicated Lightspeed capacity pool to offer broadband plans with at least 50 Mbps download speeds, 10 Mbps upload speeds, and unlimited monthly usage.
The Canadian government awarded Northwestel more than CA$86 million from the Universal Broadband Fund to run fiber to households in Nunavut and connect more than 11,500 households.
Northwestel has signed a multi-year contract for capacity from Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation to provide broadband services.
OneWeb has earlier partnerships or agreements with Alaska Communications, BT, and Northwestel to expand connectivity to hard-to-reach areas.