Erika Sherk
Northern News Services
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Instead of relying on satellite communications technology, a massive NorthwesTel project will outfit NWT mines with a land-based system similar to Yellowknife's by the end of next year.

NorthwesTel is embarking on the project to build microwave towers in conjunction with the NWT diamond mines.

BHP Billiton, Diavik, and De Beers Canada will be contributing to the construction costs to build the communication towers, but once built the towers will be the property of NorthwesTel.

The mines have been dependent on satellite phone and Internet service to date, but once the microwave project is complete they will have the same technology that is available to Yellowknife.

The conversion has been in the works for over a year, said Tom Hoefer, spokesperson for Diavik.

"Microwave is a cleaner, faster, more efficient system," he said. While satellite has served the mines adequately, it has its frustrations.

"You don't have the best kind of signals ... there is a delay."

Also, the amount of data that can be transferred wasn't sufficient, he said.

Sometimes the mines need to band together, as is the case with the joint-venture to operate the ice road, he said.

"It's kind of like the old days, when folks lived closer to the land, you had to rely on your neighbour to help," he said.

NorthwesTel would not release the financial details of the project, but Hoefer characterized it as expensive.

"The cost to install the system for one operator would be prohibitive," he said.

It will be cheaper for the mines to use the microwave system, said Bryan Alp, manager of marketing operations for NorthwesTel.

"Satellite is a good technology, but over the long run it's more economical to use a microwave system," said Alp.

The idea had been considered for a couple of years, said Hoefer. Once they decided to go ahead with the system, it took about another year to acquire permits and leases and have environmental and archeological assessments approved.

Construction will begin in May and it is slated to be finished by November 2008.

There are only four major contractors in Canada capable of building the towers, said Alp, adding Vancouver-based Westower has already been awarded the contract.

"A project of this magnitude is certainly still going to have an economic impact on the area," said Alp. "We'll need helicopters, and camp suppliers, etc."

Service to the rest of the territory will not be affected by the construction of new towers, he added.