$24M undersea fibre-optic cable being built to bring better internet to Haida Gwaii | CBC News
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When the internet goes out on Haida Gwaii, it can sometimes take weeks or even months for it to be fully repaired — impacting 911 service, education and businesses who rely on connectivity.
A new $24-million project hopes to end those long outages by building a new underwater fibre-optic cable from Kitimat, on B.C.’s North Coast, to the archipelago, home to approximately 4,500 people.
“It’s an exciting investment into resiliency and redundancy,” said Gaagwiis Jason Alsop, president of Haida Nation.
Alsop said the move will be good for local artists who want to connect with fans online and small businesses who increasingly rely on online commerce and services.
Adding the new high-speed internet connection, he said, will provide an extra layer of protection when the current cable is damaged, which he said happens several times a year, often in winter, when navigating the Hecate Strait to repair it can be particularly treacherous.
The money for the project is coming from the non-profit Northern Development Initiative Trust and will be managed through GwaiiTel, an internet service provider owned jointly by the Haida and other local communities.
‘First stage’ of improved service along B.C. coast
“Like many rural and remote communities in British Columbia, improved connectivity doesn’t just mean better streaming or online gaming, important as those things can be,” said GwaiiTel chair Sam Hall at a press conference announcing the project Friday. “Reliable connectivity is also a matter of public safety.”
Hall cited the need for emergency alerts to go out during tsunami or storm events, stating “resilient infrastructure can save lives.”
He said he hopes the new cable will be the “first stage and a model for delivering reliable connectivity to our neighbours along the central and northern B.C. coast, most of [whom] share the same struggles as Haida Gwaii when it comes to reliable connectivity.”
Hall said plans are in place to start installing the cable underwater in spring of 2027 and connecting it to land, with the entire project complete by the winter.