Work on the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link is expected to be done within the next 24 hours, assuming weather cooperates and there are helicopters available.
Northwestel chief financial officer Imran Khan gave an update on Sept. 4.
“We’ve been intermittently delayed by the weather,” he said. “They’re about halfway through but they were not allowed to fly yesterday due to adverse weather conditions and today. “
He said the crews are stationed in Inuvik and are being been delayed by a lack of chopper availability. He expected services to be restored within the next 24 hours.
Internet use in the Beaufort Delta has been at a crawl since the fibre link was damaged by wildfires on Aug. 7 somewhere between Inuvik and Fort Good Hope. Access to the line has been limited by smoke reducing visibility and dangerous conditions on the ground.
Both Northwestel and New North Networks have established alternative lines to keep customers on basic service, but use of streaming services is being discouraged due to low bandwidth.
The following communities have “congested” service:
Inuvik
Tuktoyaktuk
Aklavik
Tsiigehtchic
Fort McPherson