Internet growing by leaps and bounds

The Kativik Regional Government’s Tamaani Internet service, which started two and half years ago, now has more than 900 individual clients and about 250 business or government clients for its high-speed wireless service. Over the past year, it’s nearly doubled its number of residential clients.

And, according to information presented at last week’s KRG council meeting, the growing use and need for higher-speed telecommunications is giving more support to Tamaani’s application to the National Satellite Initiative for more free bandwidth.

“This is why we are asking for bandwidth,” said Joë Lance, the director of KRG’s administration department.

This month Taamani is sending its application to the NSI, a federal program to subsidize satellite costs for remote regions, and asking, in collaboration with other groups in Ontario and Manitoba, for three times the amount of bandwidth.

If the request is approved, Lance said Tamaani will be involved in providing more long-distance consultations for health and justice.

The KRG plans to deploy a network of weather cameras at the region’s airports this summer.