DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE - Residents of Fort Providence now have a new option when it comes to accessing the Internet.

On July 29 NorthwesTel launched a high-speed broadband Internet service in the community. The company is using the fibre optic cable it laid last year to offer the service.

SSI Micro offers wireless broadband services delivered via satellite in the hamlet.

NorthwesTel, which also offers a satellite service called NetKaster, brought the new service to Fort Providence based on customer demand, said Shane Riley, the company's manager of brand and communications.

"There's definitely a major improvement from the satellite based service," Riley said.

The new service gives customers improved speeds, more download usage and greater reliability, he said. Gamers will see major benefits.

Satellite-delivered Internet wouldn't allow customers to play online games, including those for Xbox and Wii because of the latency in the system. The fibre optic cable eliminates information lags between Earth and the satellites, allowing for real-time responses, he said.

Riley said the company has been receiving a positive response to the service. More than 50 people attended the launch event at the Zhati Koe Friendship Centre. Of the attendees, more than 30 signed up for the service.

"It's the kids dragging their parents by the hand to sign up for the service," he said.

Requests for the service continued the following day through phone calls and e-mails. To meet the demand, technicians from Hay River will be coming in daily to install the service for customers, said Riley.

The primary equipment used to offer the service is based in Hay River and the coverage has been extended to reach Fort Providence. The link between the communities is an additional benefit because it eliminates the need for more equipment and allows the operating costs to stay low, said Riley.

NorthwesTel plans to extend the fibre optic broadband Internet connection to Enterprise in August and Fort Liard before the end of September.

SSI Micro, the other Internet provider in Fort Providence, has a well-established presence in the community. The company was founded in the hamlet in 1990 and has been offering Internet service there for approximately 12 years, said Ryan Walker, the company's chief executive officer.

Having competition in the field is a good thing although Walker said the hamlet might not be large enough to need two providers.

"It's a very small market base," he said.

SSI Micro's satellite-delivered services are comparable to the new fibre optic option from NorthwestTel, said Walker.

"In terms of speeds they're very comparable," he said.

Walker added the fibre optic connectivity will be better for gamers who need a slightly more responsive system.

SSI Micro, however, isn't sitting on their laurels. The company has chosen Fort Providence as the site for a trial on modem speeds.

In other communities the company caps customers' top Internet speeds based on the service package they have purchased. The theory was if everyone had unlimited speeds, it would degrade the whole network, said Walker.

In Fort Providence the caps have been removed to gauge if it impairs the service. If the test results are successful, the findings will be applied to all of the communities SSI Micro services, said Walker.