Dempster Fibre Line project
Access to the internet is no longer a luxury. In today’s interconnected world, it’s a necessity for a strong economy, quality healthcare and reliable air travel.
About the project
The Dempster Fibre Line project is a 778-kilometre fibre optic line that follows the Dempster Highway from Dawson City, Yukon, to Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
Previously, northern communities depended on a single fibre optic line. When that line went down, the region was largely cut off from the digital world. Now that it is in Inuvik, the fibre line connects to the existing Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link. Together, the new line completes a 4,000-kilometre network. That network provides communities with a backup line in the event of a service disruption and provides more reliable internet and cellphone services.
The end goal was to make operations as cost-efficient as possible, both during installation and for the line’s active lifetime. The resulting infrastructure ensures northern communities have access to digital services that work and meet their needs.
The Dempster Fibre Line is a public asset owned by the Government of Yukon. Northwestel is leasing and operating the line for a period of 20 years.
Current project status
The construction of the line is now substantially complete.
The final step was handing the line over to Northwestel. Northwestel has completed commissioning work, officially connected the line to the network and brought it into operation.
This work connected the Dempster Fibre Line to the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line and created a redundancy loop for the Yukon. It’s this loop that provides backup services in the event of a network disruption.
The line came into service in November 2024.
For the latest information on the Dempster Fibre Project, read our project newsletters.
Project background
Key considerations
Due to the remoteness of the route, many environmental factors required careful consideration. These include:
- permafrost;
- vegetation and wetlands;
- fish and fish habitat;
- wildlife and wildlife habitat; and
- heritage resources.
Construction
Over the lifetime of the project, we’ve used several different methods to install the fibre line.
Construction of the fibre line took place in challenging terrain. This required using specialized equipment and construction methods to minimize impacts to the environment.
Plowing
The preferred installation method was plowing cable into the ground, as it is the best method to protect the cable.
Specialized equipment is used while plowing fibre conduit into the ground. That way, we exerted minimal ground pressure to create a shallow trench where the conduit was laid and immediately buried.
Horizontal directional drilling
In areas where specialized plowing equipment could not be used, such as waterways, we used horizontal directional drilling. For this method, a small hole is drilled below the surface where the fibre conduit is placed.
We used the horizontal directional drilling method to cross under 3 major rivers – the Arctic Red, the Peel and the Mackenzie rivers – without disturbing the flow of the waters. This can only be done in suitable soil and not through rocky areas.
The longest borehole for this project is approximately 1.3 kilometres under the Mackenzie River.
Aerial installations
Aerial installations were only used in rare instances when all other installation methods were not possible because of existing ground conditions.
Field monitoring
Environmental monitoring
Over the course of the project’s construction, crews contended with a variety of obstacles. Difficult terrain and weather conditions like snowstorms, which can happen at any time of year on the Dempster Highway, often proved to be a challenge.
Wildfires, flooding and road washouts provided a different kind of hurdle. On-site environmental monitors were a crucial part of the work crew.
Wildlife monitoring
With work occurring in such remote locations, it’s no surprise that there were an incredible number of animals sightings. In 2024 alone, reports included:
- 31 moose sightings;
- 112 grizzly bear sightings;
- 21 black bear sightings;
- at least 118 caribou sightings; and
- various reports of wolves, beavers, marmots, lynx, porcupine and sheep.
How the fibre line will work
Fibre optic cable
The majority of the cable is installed in the right-of-way of the Klondike and Dempster highways. The cable will be able to withstand diverse weather conditions and landscapes.
Construction methods varied along the route to accommodate changes in terrain. For example, most of the cable is buried underground. Some aerial sections are attached to existing Yukon Energy poles, new poles, or attached to bridges for water crossings.
Learn more about how we installed the fibre line.
Terminals
The government uses existing Northwestel facilities located in Dawson and Inuvik to house terminal equipment.
Points-of-presence (POP)
POPs are where the cable connects to users and communities along the route. These are connected to the community electrical grid, and backup generators will supply power in the event of a power outage.
Handholes
Handholes are shallow box-type structures made of fibreglass. They are approximately 80-centimetres wide, 120-centimetres long and 80-centimetres high. Handholes are needed to provide access to the cable for maintenance.
Handholes were installed every 5 to 10 kilometres along the route. These can be built above or below ground. Most were built above ground to avoid permafrost and to minimize impacts.
Handholes also have signs to ensure that the public can see them.
Network operations and control centre (NOCC)
The existing centre in Yellowknife will be used. The NOCC is capable of monitoring and maintaining both the cable and the signal. The NOCC can also change the direction of the signal if something goes wrong.
Contact us
If you have questions or would like more information about the project, email [email protected].