Rural residents around the Yukon are expressing more concerns about their access to Internet services as Xplornet prepares to pull the plug on serving the territory.

Neil Fletcher, who operates a business called Cassiar Consulting, chatted with the Star briefly about the brewing problem on Monday afternoon.

“Xplornet is turning off its Internet service for 500-plus Yukoners who live north of the Takhini Hot Springs Road on December 31 this year,” Fletcher said in an email.

“In other parts of Canada, it is getting federal money from the $2.75-billion Universal Broadband Fund to upgrade Internet connections to super-fast fibre.”

On June 3, Fletcher noted, Gudie Hutchings, the minister for Rural Economic Development, announced the federal government was spending $55 million with Xplornet and Rogers to install high-speed Internet to homes in New Brunswick.

Xplornet is also receiving federal funding to upgrade connections on Prince Edward Island.

“Yukoners, however, are being disconnected from the Internet despite the federal government target to connect 100 per cent of Canadian households to fast Internet by 2030,” observed Fletcher, who is also a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Development Corp. board member.

“Starlink is the only affordable alternative for remote users and won’t be available until some time in 2023,” he added.

“Its roll-out in the North has been delayed several times already.”

Fletcher said he’s unlikely to be able to operate his business if something isn’t done to improve access to the Internet.

“The difference between slow Internet and fast Internet is big, but the difference between slow Internet and no Internet is life-changing,” he said.

“Why can’t the Yukon government get Xplornet to continue its service – using a tiny amount of the feds’ Universal Broadband Fund – until Starlink is operational?

“It seems like there’s one standard for most Canadians and another for Yukoners.”

Other Internet services designed for large mining camps can cost $15,000 to $20,000 to install, with substantial monthly charges, Fletcher pointed out.

Another resident, Norm Carlson, said: “My wife and I, like probably all Canadians, rely on the Internet and have been using the Xplornet service for the last seven years.

“Being we live remotely in the Yukon wilderness, it is our only communication with the outside world. Losing this connection Dec. 31st in the dead of the Yukon winter will be devastating.”

The Yukon government provided the following statement on the subject.

Krysten Johnson, who speaks for the Department of Highways and Public Works, wrote in an email to the Star that “while the responsibility of managing, regulating and providing satellite services ultimately rests with the Government of Canada, the Government of Yukon understands the importance of connectivity across rural Yukon and continues to advocate for Yukoners as best we can.”

Johnson also wrote, “After becoming aware that Xplornet was intending to shut down their services to the Yukon in 2020, our minister connected with his federal counterparts in Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) to seek an extension of services.

“We were then advised that Xplornet would extend their services to Dec. 31, 2022, at which time alternative satellite services such as OneWeb and Starlink would be available,” Johnson wrote.

“However, it has become our understanding that the availability of Starlink to the Far North has now been delayed until sometime in 2023 while OneWeb is anticipated to become available some time later this year.

“With this knowledge, our minister (Nils Clarke) has re-engaged with his federal counterpart at ISED, once again expressing his concerns with Xplornet’s services coming to an end this year and there being limited alternatives available.

“Again, we will continue to advocate on behalf of Yukoners for a commercial solution to this important issue.”

Xplornet emailed a statement to the Star Tuesday morning.

“In the summer of 2020, Xplornet announced that Satellite Internet service for a small number of customers would conclude on Dec. 31, 2020,” the company said.

“To better serve our customers and provide them ample time to explore alternate service options, Xplornet extended the end-of-service date by two years – past the expected lifespan of our ground station equipment – to Dec. 31, 2022.

“Most of the impacted customers will be able to migrate to another Xplornet service or find an alternate service provider.

“We have started to remind remaining customers of this change so that they can explore other service options.”