Northwestel to waive internet overage fees through June for some customers

The North's largest internet provider says it will continue to decrease or waive internet data overage fees through the month of June.

Northwestel removed caps on internet usage in communities served by cable internet in March, April and May to allow for increased usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those communities include N.W.T.'s Yellowknife, Norman Wells, and Fort Smith, as well as Yukon's Whitehorse and Carcross.

Communities in Nunavut that get satellite DSL service saw their usage caps double, and satellite DSL communities in the Northwest Territories and Yukon had their caps increased by 50 per cent. DSL service is internet delivered through telephone lines.

All communities on terrestrial DSL, including Hay River, N.W.T., Watson Lake and Dawson City, Yukon, received an extra 100 GB per month.

A spokesperson for Northwestel told CBC Wednesday that those relief measures would be extended to June 30, if the CRTC approves.

• CRTC asks Northwestel to reapply for relief of internet overage fees — without conditions

• CRTC approves Northwestel request to waive internet overage fees

Customers "do not need to take any action to receive this temporary benefit, which will be applied automatically to every customer's account," Northwestel said in a release last month.