Youth in three remote Northwest Territories (NWT) communities have improved Internet access thanks to support from De Beers Group for Low-Earth-Orbiting (LEO) satellite Internet connections. De Beers is providing a total of $15,000 to help Lutsel K’e and Gameti install Starlink systems and a OneWeb connection into Wekweeti.
All three communities have Impact Benefit Agreements with Gahcho Kué mine and Snap Lake mine. The program is part of De Beers’ Building Forever initiative. The funding will cover the cost of hardware, installation and up to three months of access to Starlink at the Zah Lockhart Hall in Lutsel K’e and the Gameti Youth Club.
Sherbaz Muhammad, Senior Administrative Officer for Gameti, said: “Your donation is a game-changer for our youth, providing them with the connectivity they need to succeed in the digital age.” Wekweeti has a community wide OneWeb system and De Beers’ funding will support installation of a router to expand this access to the youth centre.
Gahcho Kué has relied upon OneWeb services for employee Internet access on site since April 2022. De Beers Group is also testing Starlink access at the remote Chidliak Project site on Baffin Island. The company’s exploration team has used Starlink for Internet access at its remote exploration sites for the past two years.
Building Forever, is De Beers’ blueprint for creating a lasting and sustainable impact in the communities close to where we recover diamonds. De Beers employs more than 600 people in Canada. It is the operator of the joint venture Gahcho Kué mine in the Northwest Territories (NWT).
It is actively closing Snap Lake mine in the NWT and Victor mine in Ontario, has an active exploration team searching for new diamond deposits in Canada, and is advancing the Chidliak Project to establish a technologically advanced diamond mine on Baffin Island using FutureSmart Mining principles.
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