Masi, Mr. Speaker. Honourable Caroline Wawzonek told this House on June 3rd that COVID made digital connectivity even more important and also urgent. She said, and I quote, "I certainly do expect I will be making faster progress on this and maybe would have before the COVID happened." Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask Minister Wawzonek about the faster progress that she mentions. What are the implications of the faster progress for Internet and Whati, Gameti, and Wekweeti? Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me speak to the matter in Whati first. I'm very happy to be able to say that, with the recent signing of the infrastructure cooperation agreement between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Tlicho Government, part of that agreement was, in fact, that the GNWT is now supporting the option for a fibre optic line to Whati. This is going to be a project that would be led by the Tlicho government, but the GNWT is going to partner and provide support as well as some financial supports in terms of preparing their project. That is a very exciting opportunity to work together on completing that.
In addition to that, Northwestel had an application that was recently approved by CRTC that will allow all satellite communities, which includes Wekweeti and Gameti, but all of the satellite communities, to take advantage of the low earth orbit satellite network as soon as that technology is available. The expected date for that is in 2022 and 2023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That's great news about Whati. It's still in the works, and if we wait for Northwestel, we may not see the Internet. There is a CRTC federal counterpart, and as you know, the federal drags its heels, as well. This is an area that we need to push forward. As the GNWT, the Minister has made it a priority, a commitment in this House, so I would like to ask the Minister: the government has given fibre optic services to Tulita, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, and Wrigley. Some of them are small communities. In the interest of fairness, when will the Minister of Finance extend those same services to the Tlicho communities of Gameti, Wekweeti, and also, well, Whati is still in the works, but those communities?
Right now, there are no plans in place to be extending the fibre line to Gameti and Wekweeti. The first step is to get it as far as Whati. Again, working in combination with the Tlicho Government, it may well be that, if we are successful in our applications to the federal government for their support and their funding in regard to that project, that, from there, we may well be moving on to Gameti and Wekweeti, but we have to lay the first line first.
If we can find $82 million for a 12-kilometre fibre optic line down the Mackenzie Valley, I'm sure we can find it, too, for my region. Why can't we find an extra little bit that would help households, schools, and nursing stations and businesses to now enjoy the benefits of this line that their very own tax dollars built, for my riding in Monfwi?
Again, I am very pleased to say that we're going to be working together with the Tlicho Government to bring a fibre line into the community of Whati, and pleased that, again, at this point, with the CRTC approvals that are in place, Gameti and Wekweeti will be seeing a dramatic improvement to their access, as well. We are constantly working with federal counterparts to have access and opportunity to get involved with the tremendous amount of funding that is coming forward in the next few years for broadband, but even that funding from the federal government, at this point, although we're having those conversations, it has been announced but there are no calls out yet. The actual applications, the kinds of applications, that's not even known. Nevertheless, we want to be first in line and we've already had those outreach opportunities, and I have taken them where I can and will continue to do so.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, we have to think short-term and long-term. Short-term, in my view, is connecting to Whati. I'm just wondering if the Minister and her department, at the federal and Northwestel level, has there ever been consideration of, once Whati is connected, Gameti and Wekweeti are also in line for the discussion to move forward as a long-term objective of this government? Masi, Mr. Speaker.
That is the first time I've had it raised to me that that is an option or a solution that we should be pursuing, and I agree with the Member's statement that there is short-term and there is long-term. Yes. Absolutely, short-term, I'd like to see this project to Whati in partnership with the Tlicho Government advance, and then, beyond that, to get the satellite communities to the state where they have gained access to low Earth orbit satellite system. Then, beyond that, I will give you the words that I was told by the federal counterpart, which is: dream big. If we're being told to dream big, then we want to dream big. I am happy to hear that there are other options and ideas, and I am happy to continue to take them forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
