Northwestel reveals prices of unlimited data plans

Northwestel on Wednesday published the prices it plans to charge for unlimited data plans in seven northern communities.

The plans are due to be introduced on November 2. They will be the first unlimited plans the company has offered to residents. Until now, unlike in southern provinces, all of Northwestel’s residential plans have come with monthly data caps.

The company says its top-rated Internet 250 plan, allowing unlimited data with 250 Mbps download speeds and 15 Mbps upload speeds, will be priced at $249.95 per month subject to approval from regulator the CRTC.

That’s $10 per month pricier than the current top option, which has the same speeds and is capped at 750 GB per month.

Northwestel has to seek approval from the CRTC for any new or changed packages owing to its dominant position in the northern market.

Providing examples of its pricing in a news release on Wednesday, Northwestel said its second-tier Internet 125 option would increase in price from $189.95 to $199.95 with unlimited data and 125 Mbps download speeds.

At 50 Mbps download speeds, the existing Internet 50 package – with 300 GB monthly data cap – costs $110.95 per month. That will go up to $160.95 per month with unlimited data (and upload speeds will increase from four Mbps to 10 Mbps.)

Northwestel said those would be the three residential plans to initially offer unlimited data. The company did not say how bundles including TV and telephone service would be affected.

The first communities able to access the packages will be Yellowknife, Hay River, Norman Wells, and Fort Smith in the NWT; Whitehorse and Carcross in the Yukon; and Fort Nelson in BC.

“Customers will be able to choose unlimited data on the top two standard internet plans for only $10 more per month,” said Northwestel in a statement.

“Through its own investments and funding from the CRTC, Northwestel plans to introduce unlimited internet to every NWT and Yukon community within three years.”