Wednesday, March 18, 2026
The Government of British Columbia announced an investment, through Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), in a new subsea fibre-optic cable to enhance the resiliency of connectivity for Haida Gwaii communities.
“Reliable connectivity is essential to the economic and social prosperity of communities across Haida Gwaii,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “Through partnerships with the Council of the Haida Nation, GwaiiTel and NDIT, the Province is advancing resilient, dependable internet services that support community needs now and into the future.”
NDIT is investing as much as $24 million in GwaiiTel to enhance network capacity, improve service stability and ensure residents, First Nations and local businesses have access to high-speed internet.
The GwaiiTel Haida Gwaii subsea fibre-optic project will deliver a dedicated, high-capacity connection between Haida Gwaii and the mainland northern coast, creating a more reliable network for the region’s digital infrastructure.
“Since 2006, GwaiiTel has provided the people of Haida Gwaii with reliable fibre- optic connection between communities to support services for businesses, health care, emergency services, education and maintain important social ties to family and friends. This investment strengthens our partnership between the Haida Nation and all island communities and ensures that this critical infrastructure is 100% owned by the people of Haida Gwaii. This additional connection to the mainland will ensure our communities have stable access to reliable, high-speed internet,” said Gaagwiis Jason Alsop, President of Haida Nation.
The fibre route will strengthen essential online services that communities rely on every day, including:
- remote health-care delivery and telehealth
- emergency response and public safety
- government services
- education and online learning
- tourism and local business operations
- community and social networking
Construction will begin in spring 2026 on the project. It represents a step toward more reliable, resilient connectivity on Haida Gwaii, where geography and weather create distinct infrastructure challenges.
Jointly owned by the Haida Nation and local government partners, GwaiiTel has decades of experience managing connectivity on Haida Gwaii, ensuring that infrastructure decisions remain rooted in local perspectives and deliver lasting benefits to island communities.
“Laying a subsea fibre-optic cable between Haida Gwaii and the mainland’s northern coast is intricate, complex and vital work, and we are pleased to see the project progressing with financial support through the Connecting BC program and with local experience from a northwest B.C.-based telecom company. Bringing resilient high-speed internet to the people and businesses on Haida Gwaii is a critically important endeavour as we work together to continue to provide equitable access to all British Columbians in the digital landscape,” said Ben Campbell, CEO, Northen Development Initiative Trust.
Featured image: (Government of B.C.)
