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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Northwestel has partnered with the Inuvialuit Development Corporation (IDC) to create a new company that will handle all requests for telecommunications services in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR).

James Thorbourne, president of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation (IDC), unveils the logo of Tundra Communications, It's a new company formed through a partnership between the IDC and Northwestel to provide telecommunications services for clients in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. - Brodie Thomas/NNSL photo

The joint venture, called Tundra Communications, was unveiled earlier this year in June at the Inuvik Petroleum Show, a showcase for oil and gas operators. This is an industry Tundra hopes to cater to, according to James Thorbourne, president of the IDC.

In his notes for a presentation he made at this year's Arctic Gas Symposium, Thorbourne summed up the company's mission statement.

"The goal of this business alliance is to deliver top-tier telecommunications services to natural resource companies operating in the ISR while providing employment and careers for Inuvialuit beneficiaries, all the while ensuring a fair share of the economic benefits from these industries remain in the North and in the ISR."

Thorbourne said the partners bring an equal share of knowledge to the table. The IDC knows what the demand for communications services is among mining and particularly oil and gas exploration companies while Northwestel brings a proven track record of providing satellite or terrestrial communication for remote work sites.

"The amount of oil and gas work has remained the same in this area for the last few years, but once the pipeline moves forward, the amount of work and the demand for this service will go up substantially," said Thorbourne.

Anne Kennedy, Northwestel director of corporate communications, agreed the pipeline played a factor in the creation of the company.

"We form these ventures in anticipation of, as opposed to in response to, business opportunities becoming available, so that we're ready and positioned," said Kennedy.

That said, Northwestel is in no position whatsoever to influence the direction of the pipeline and so must wait like everyone else.

"There's a business opportunity there and it's in our operating area, so of course we hope to be the preferred supplier of something," she said.

"If a pipeline goes through, there's definitely going to be a lot required in the way of telecommunications services."

In the meantime, Tundra is awaiting offers from operators currently doing work in the region.

"If a mining company comes to us and they have a remote camp somewhere, we'll find solutions for them, whether it's providing satellite or terrestrial communication service," she said.

Last year, Northwestel signed a deal with three diamond mines in the NWT to share the cost of building four microwave repeater towers between Yellowknife and the Lac de Gras area as well as one tower each at Ekati, Diavik and Snap Lake diamond mines

The microwave towers will replace satellite phone and Internet use by the mines.

The old system often resulted in the delays and could only accommodate a limited amount of information transfers.

In March, the building structures for the project were shipped by truck via the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road, then transported to the various sites by helicopter.

Assembly of the towers took place this summer and is expected to finish in November.

Once construction is complete, the infrastructure will be owned by the phone company, which it said will lead to additional business opportunities for it in the mineral-rich Slave geological area.