Feds Will Invest $46.5m to Boost High-Speed Internet in Coastal Alaska

The federal government announced it’s investing $46.5 million to bring high-speed internet to communities across coastal Alaska.By Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska
October 14, 2020

The federal government announced it’s investing $46.5 million to bring high-speed internet to communities across coastal Alaska. That’s expected to improve internet speeds in Southeast Alaska and out as far as the Aleutians.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue made the announcement Tuesday. He said he understands Alaskans are isolated by geography.

“But when we get this high speed, broadband gigabit-speed there, you’re going to be as connected as anyone on the mainland here in that regard,” Perdue said.

More than half of the federal money — $25 million — is going to a subsidiary of GCI to build about 800 miles of undersea fiber cable stretching from Kodiak Island, along the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Chain.

GCI is also spending $33 million of its own capital to complete the connection in 2022.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural utilities administrator Chad Rupe said the Trump administration recognizes the strategic importance of Dutch Harbor, one of the nation’s largest fishing ports.

“This port is one of our nation’s western, most northernmost natural deepwater ports,” Rupe said. “So this connectivity along the Aleutian chain is especially important not just for our rural economies, but just by sheer geography to support our national defense.”

GCI Chief Operating Officer Greg Chapados said once the fiber optic line is completed, speeds for those living in remote communities should be comparable to Alaska’s urban areas.

“The digital divide between Unalaska and Anchorage will be eliminated,” Chapados said.

GCI said the affected communities in the first phase will be Unalaska, King Cove, Sand Point, Akutan, Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay.

Separately, Alaska Power & Telephone has been awarded $21.5 million to build an undersea fiber optic cable in Southeast Alaska. It would run from Juneau’s Lena Point down the Wrangell Narrows and link communities on Prince of Wales Island.

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