Northwestel reports that technicians have begun working on fibre optic lines damaged by the NWT wildfire along Highway 1, but customers further North along the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link will have to wait until conditions improve.

An update was posted to their Facebook page at 1 p.m. Aug. 17.

SA国际影视传媒淭echnicians have now accessed impacted sites along Highway 1 in southern NWT and begun repair work,SA国际影视传媒� says the notice. SA国际影视传媒� The fibre line is damaged in multiple areas and we expect it will take at least 24 hours or more to begin to restore service to South Slave communities. We are coordinating all work with NWT Fire to ensure technicians remain safe.

SA国际影视传媒淒ue to continued wildfire activity, we have not yet been able to access the damaged fibre assets along the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link. Service to the Beaufort Delta region remains available but congested. We have been able to augment capacity using OneWeb Low Earth Orbit technology.SA国际影视传媒�

Northwestel said it was also working to evacuate its 120 employees situated in Yellowknife and was establishing a backup control centre. The post did not state where the control centre would be located.

SA国际影视传媒淲e want to thank all those working hard to fight these wildfires, assist in the safe evacuation and maintain and restore communications in this critical period.SA国际影视传媒�

The following communities remain without service:

Enterprise

Fort Resolution

Fort Smith

Hay River

Jean-Marie River

Kakisa

High Level, Alberta

The following communities have SA国际影视传媒渃ongestedSA国际影视传媒� service:

Inuvik

Tuktoyaktuk

Aklavik

Tsiigetchic

Fort McPherson