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INUVIK
The inauguration of a second active satellite antenna at the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility could mean a few more jobs and much better Internet connectivity for people living here.

A fibre-optic link from the south up the Mackenzie Valley would connect the Inuvik satellite facility – and people who live along the Mackenzie Valley – to the world. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

Monday evening, an international delegation, including representatives from the GNWT, the Canadian Department of National Defence, the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), the Centre National D'Etudes Spatiale (the French space agency) and more gathered in Inuvik to celebrate a ground station built in Inuvik, by the SSC, becoming active.

This is the second receiver of this kind at the site. The German space corporation, DLR, has been operating a similar dish in Inuvik for the past two years since its inauguration in August, 2010.

The SCC, and much of the international space community, is interested in Inuvik as a site for a world-class observation facility because of its latitude.

"We like to say that we're geographically gifted," said Mayor Denny Rodgers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday night. "Because of our location, when these satellites come over our polar orbit, our antennas can grab them and we keep them longer than anybody else … in Canada."

The SCC is specifically interested in expanding the Inuvik station to work as a sister station to its site in Kiruna, Sweden, which is at approximately the same latitude – 68 degrees.

"Local contractors will get work out here. I mean, we have the potential for 20 to 25 of these here," said Rodgers. "What we're missing right now is a fibre-optic link. Right now, the data comes in and is basically canned and shipped out."

The Inuvik ground station downloads data from low-orbit remote sensing satellites.

These satellites have a limited capacity for data storage, hence the need to create multiple ground stations along their route to download the information.

These kinds of satellites "pretty much all run north to south over the poles," said Tom Zubko, president of New North Networks in Inuvik.

This means, because of the curvature of the Earth, most satellites come into range of the Inuvik ground station on their trip around the planet.

The ability to not only download but to transmit this information quickly would enable the Inuvik ground station to assist in tasks like emergency response.

"Lack of communication severely limits the type of missions that could be operated out of here," said Zubko.

According to the GNWT, as it is now, the station collects information that is used for environmental monitoring, security and surveillance, resource development and global warming projects.

Expanding the Inuvik Ground Station Facility justifies the need for a fibre-optic cable link up the Mackenzie Valley to Inuvik, said Zubko.

"That would not be very easily justified on the basis of the population of the area," said Zubko. "But if it was in, it would do two things: it would very likely cause a substantial growth in the next few years of the satellite site ... and a byproduct would definitely be to bring our part of the North into the real world when it comes to the Internet."

Premier Bob McLeod agreed that one of the major benefits to people living in Inuvik from having a satellite ground station here will be the fibre-optic link, and what that will mean for communications technologies everywhere along the Mackenzie Valley.

"I think that one of the benefits (to Inuvik) will be the fibre-optic link," said McLeod at the ribbon cutting. "It will benefit not only Inuvik, but all the communities up and down the Mackenzie Valley."

The Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link project is expected to cost about $65 million, said McLeod. This project is currently still in the planning stages, and the territorial government has pitched it to the federal government. The GNWT is also exploring the possibility of a public-private sector partnership to get the fibre-optic cable installed.

Currently, most of Inuvik's Internet connection is bounced along radio towers from here to Whitehorse, which results in slow speeds and low bandwidth.

"Right now we have a very substantial shortage of bandwidth into this area," said Zubko.

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