More Than 25,000 Alaskans Get Access to High-Speed Internet Thanks to Alaska Communications

By: Alaska Communications via Business Wire

January 30, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST

Through capital investments and innovative technologies, Alaska Communications is doubling down on its focus to provide Alaskans with broadband solutions that meet the demands of today’s fast-paced world.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240130813623/en/

An Alaska Communications technician installs service. (Photo: Business Wire)

Since 2017, the broadband provider has deployed high-speed internet to more than 25,000 unserved or underserved locations, through the CAF II program. In 2023, it brought affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to new locations in Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Nenana, North Pole, Salcha, Nikiski, Anchor Point, Homer, Soldotna and Ninilchik, offering speeds up to 50 Mbps.

“One of the reasons I joined Alaska Communications is because of the tremendous opportunity we have to improve Alaskans’ lives by providing affordable, reliable broadband,” said Matt McConnell, Alaska Communications president and CEO. “It’s hard to imagine life without reliable internet, but for many Alaskans, especially in rural areas, it has been the status quo. We look forward to continued investment in strengthening and expanding our network.”

Last year, the company invested $65 million in capital in its network and facilities. In 2024, the company plans to invest another $40 million.

Among these investments is Alaska Communications’ state of the art fiber to the home network, which currently delivers the fastest upload speeds in Alaska. In the last two years, Alaska Communications deployed fiber to the home to about 10,000 homes in Fairbanks and Anchorage, along with a fiber build to a multi-dwelling unit in downtown Juneau. The company’s fiber to the home network differs from other hybrid fiber networks in that it extends the fiber to each individual building. With other hybrid fiber networks, homes are connected to the fiber line via a copper cable, and multiple homes share the same line, so speeds may fluctuate. Read more about the company’s work in the Anchorage Daily News.

“Fiber is the gold standard but we are always focused on deploying the right technologies, like fixed wireless, which can be better suited for certain environments,” said McConnell. “We’re planning a fixed wireless pilot in Juneau that would deliver speeds up to 300 Mbps.”

The company is also participating in the Alaska FiberOptic Project, a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Alaska Native Regional Corporations and tribal entities that support communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers. The project will bring high-speed fiber internet to up to 21 communities for the first time, creating new economic opportunities for rural residents. Fiber construction in the Yukon River will commence this summer.

About Alaska Communications

Alaska Communications, an affiliate of ATN International, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATNI), is the leading provider of advanced broadband and managed IT services for businesses and consumers in Alaska. The company operates a highly reliable, advanced statewide data network with the latest technology and the most diverse undersea fiber optic system connecting Alaska to the contiguous U.S. For more information, visit www.AlaskaCommunications.com.