Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently, it was announced that two satellite operators received an interim licence to operate receivers at the Inuvik satellite station facility.
Mr. Speaker, this is good news and will hopefully pave the way for continued expansion of the satellite station and additional global customers for the Mackenzie Valley fibre link.
Mr. Speaker, the government's investment in the fibre line was significant. This communication backbone should help the economic diversification of our territory and improve service delivery in the communities along the Mackenzie Valley.
Mr. Speaker, the three years that it took to get the approval for these satellite operators is troubling. I understand this is a federal government responsibility and that there are concerns with national security, so there needs to be a complete review before licences can be granted.
Mr. Speaker, that said, three years is too long, and I would hope that the GNWT is providing input to the federal government on ways the approval process can be improved.
Mr. Speaker, previous to this position, I assisted in the installation of the fibre optic cable, a wire as big as your finger. This provided me with the experience to visually see the flashlight from one community to the next. It was an awesome experience.
As I said, the approval is a good-news story, but I will have questions for the Minister of Finance later on, on this Mackenzie Valley fibre line. Mahsi.