Alaskan broadband service provider GCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corp. (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP) recently completed tests on 12 specialty fiber strands through which the company plans to deliver 2-gig internet to the Aleutian Islands town of Unalaska. Currently served via satellite, Unalaska residents should have access to fiber-based broadband next month, GCI expects.
The new fiber infrastructure is part of GCI’s AU-Aleutians Fiber Project. The test followed the deployment of more than 800 miles submarine fiber in late September as well as most of the deployment of fiber to the premises (FTTP) infrastructure.
“We are about to light up the network and close the digital divide in Unalaska! Woohoo!” said GCI Rural Affairs Director Jenifer Nelson. “We’ve been waiting for years to see these first gigs of fiber-fed internet flow through Unalaska and it’s thrilling to know that we’ve taken another major step forward. Urban speeds and unlimited data will soon be a reality for thousands more Alaskans.”
“To see years of planning and work come to fruition is a huge moment for our project team,” said GCI Project Manager Mike Bertsch. “We’ve navigated so many challenges, from COVID-19 and supply chain issues to bad weather and rough seas. To make it happen on schedule is a massive accomplishment. I’m very proud of our team and am looking forward to bringing affordable, reliable connectivity to more communities throughout the region.”
The AU-Aleutians Fiber Project includes deploying FTTP in additional towns in the Aleutian Chain and Alaska Peninsula. GCI says its work will move toward Kodiak, stopping in Akutan, Sand Point, King Cove, Chignik Bay, and Larsen Bay. New services should turn up in each community by the end of 2024. GCI estimates the project will cost $58 million, $25 million of which is a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program.