Northwestel makes permanent data increases to Nunavut internet packages

Starting July 1, Northwestel customers in Nunavut will see an increase in their monthly internet usage caps.

The announcement comes a week before the company’s temporary COVID-19 relief measures were set to expire on June 30.

In March, Northwestel, northern Canada’s largest telecommunications provider, doubled monthly data for customers in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Arviat and Cambridge Bay in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. That was then extended to May and June and is set to expire on June 30.

On July 1, customers in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Arviat and Cambridge Bay will see the following permanent changes to the Kaittuq internet packages:

• Kaittuq 5 will increase from 45 GB to 65 GB per month
• Kaittuq 10 will increase from 75 GB to 110 GB per month
• Kaittuq 15 will increase from 100 GB to 150 GB per month

“We know our customers want more usage permanently,” Curtis Shaw, Northwestel’s president, said in a news release.

“And we know business customers are asking for more usage as business activity increases. These changes to Northwestel internet plans will make permanent usage available in every community while respecting the capacity constraints of local network technologies.”

Last week, the company said it was waiting to hear from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on whether permanent changes to its internet packages would be approved.

Northwestel does not need CRTC approval, however, to make changes to its data caps in Nunavut, but said it was “looking at potential changes to our internet packages in Nunavut.”

The new monthly data amounts will be applied automatically at no cost on July 1 and customers do not need to contact Northwestel to to request the increase, the release said.

These changes from Northwestel will kick in July 1. (Table courtesy of Northwestel)