Phone and Internet Outages

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Scheduled Maintenance May Impact 9-1-1 and other Services in Sachs Harbour, Sambaa K’e and Wekweètì

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is advising residents of Sachs Harbour, Sambaa K’e and Wekweètì of a planned telecommunications service disruption during Northwestel’s scheduled network maintenance.

The work will take place from 11:00 p.m. on August 24, 2026, to 1:00 a.m. on August 25, 2026 (MST). Affected communities may experience interruptions to all voice and internet services for approximately 10 minutes.

In an emergency, residents should continue to call 9-1-1 first. However, access to 9-1-1 and other emergency telecommunications services may be temporarily unavailable during the maintenance window.

If you are unable to reach 9-1-1 during this period:

  • Proceed to your local RCMP detachment in person for police assistance.

  • For urgent medical needs, go directly to your local health centre.

  • Contact local emergency response personnel through available community channels.

For non-urgent health advice, residents may call 8-1-1 before or after the maintenance period to speak with a registered nurse. Access to 8-1-1 may also be temporarily unavailable during the disruption.

The GNWT appreciates residents' patience and understanding while this essential maintenance work is completed.
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Status of Telecommunication Services

Telephone and internet service can be disrupted with little to no warning.

Check with telecommunications providers for the latest status: 

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9-1-1 Service

If 9-1-1 is not available, alternative phone numbers to reach emergency services will be activated:

  • 867-765-8337
  • 867-446-6149
  • 867-446-6151

If land line and cell networks are both disrupted, these alternative emergency phone numbers will not be available. In this case, please go directly to the RCMP detachment or Health Center.

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8-1-1 Service

8-1-1 Service might not be available during phone and internet outages. Please wait for phone and internet service to be restored. In case of emergency, go to the emergency room or your local health centre. 

During an internet outage, you can dial 1-844-259-1793. If you are using your cell phone, try turning Wi-Fi calling off.

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Emergency Wildlife phone numbers

The Emergency Wildlife phone numbers may not be operational during phone and internet outages. Please be extra cautious of wildlife in the area. If you see bear activity during the day, please report it to your local Wildlife Officer by visiting your regional ECC office. For bear safety information go to: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/bear-safety 

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Accessing government programs and services during a telecommunications outage

GNWT phone lines and internet may be disrupted during telecommunications outages and GNWT websites may not be available as a result.

Health and social services

Health and social services programs and services remain available throughout telecommunications outages. For details, please see the process for accessing health and social services during telecommunications outages.

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Getting emergency information during a telecommunications outage

Community governments are primarily responsible for managing emergencies in their community. Find out if your community government has a plan for communicating during a telecommunications outage. You should check and find out before an emergency happens, so you know where to find information. Check your local government’s website or social media pages for local information. ·

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