“It just takes strong partnerships between the communities and other parties to make these solutions possible.”The majority of internet across Canada’s Arctic is satellite-based. The idea for the project in Ulukhaktok goes back to 2019 when the community decided to partner with The Internet Society, an international non-profit that works to improve internet access and accessibility, and also has a special focus on underserved communities. Faster and cheaper optionThe Internet Society gave training on setting up a community driven network that was independent of a traditional internet provider. In the end, Ulukhaktok decided on using a hamlet Starlink connection—funded by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation— as the backhaul for their community network. “Only those who had like Starlink accounts in the Hay River could have any kind of internet access,” she said.
