Photo of the Dempster Fiber Line under construction Courtesy: Yukon Department of Highways and Public Works
WHITEHORSE, YT – Construction of the 778-kilometer long Dempster Fiber Line has officially wrapped up.
In a press conference on Friday, September 13th, the Yukon Government announced the completion of the construction phase of the project, and have confirmed that the line will now be handed over to NorthwesTel for commissioning and final connection.
NorthwesTel expects to have the fiber line connected and operational by December of this year.
The new fiber line is the last link in NorthwesTel’s 4000km long North Fiber Loop, connecting the existing fiber lines in Inuvik and Dawson City. It traverses the traditional territories of 8 First Nations in the Yukon and Northwest Territories along it’s route.
The new line creates a redundancy in the fiber optic network serving the Yukon by allowing network traffic to be rerouted in the event a portion of the line is damaged, as it was earlier this year during the Fort Nelson Wildfire.
As part of their construction contract, ROHL Global Networks, had provided employment and training opportunities for First Nations along the fiber line, something The Yukon Government says is the sort of collaborative partnership they’d like to see more of and are committed to pursuing.
Construction of the project began in 2021, and was made possible thanks to a joint investment by The Government of Canada, The Yukon Government and NorthwesTel.
