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AU-Aleutians Fiber Project: Reaching digital equity, closing the digital divide and connecting communities in rural Alaska

January 5, 2022 | 4 min read Posted by Jenifer Nelson

  • AU-Aleutians
  • internet

Jenifer Nelson GCI Rural Relations Manager

Surveys are complete, ground has been broken, and boots are on the ground in Unalaska. That can only mean one thing – the game is about to change in the Aleutians. GCI is building a more than 800-mile subsea fiber that will bring multi-gigabit speeds to some of Alaska’s most remote communities, including Unalaska, Sand Point, Akutan, Chignik Bay, Larsen Bay, and my hometown, King Cove.

A project of this scale requires years of meticulous planning, blueprints, and prep work. Finally, this fall, we were able to begin preparing communities for the fiber to arrive. As the project moves forward, we wanted to open up a forum for community members to ask questions and hear from us directly: connectivity is coming!

We recently sat down with the GCI AU-Aleutians Fiber Project team, GCI leadership, and Alaska lawmakers to discuss progress so far, the future of connectivity in the Aleutians, and what customers can expect. I was joined by GCI President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Chapados, Representative Bryce Edgmon, Speaker Louise Stutes, GCI Vice President of Network Program Management Rebecca Markley, and GCI Project Manager Mike Bertsch. Here are the takeaways from the event.

A project creating digital equity

As Anchorage and other hubs in Alaska make huge strides with advancements like 2 gig internet and 5G mobile service, we need to go beyond an incremental approach in rural communities. While helpful, incremental changes will never amount to digital equity across the state. Put simply, we need bold steps, public/private partnerships, and fiber to make real, lasting change in Alaska’s connectivity landscape. Enter: AU-Aleutians.

This transformational project in the Aleutians will provide local access directly to the long-haul fiber. The communities in the project scope will have a wired, local access network using fiber. This is the most advanced connection in Alaska — including most places in Anchorage.

Plans and pricing

Fiber customers in the Aleutians will be offered unlimited, 2 gigabit service for the same prices, terms, features, and capabilities as offered in Anchorage.

GCI also plans to improve mobile wireless service in the Aleutians Fiber Project communities. This includes offering the same kind of high-bandwidth and high-capability wireless services that are in Anchorage.

Project progress

Conduit trenching has begun in Unalaska (as seen below). The team expects service to be turned on for Akutan and Unalaska in the winter of 2022, Sand Point and King Cove in 2023, and Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay in 2024.

The project’s more than 800-mile subsea cable is currently being manufactured, with two of the nine cable segments already completed. Designed as a seamless process for customers, the network systems being installed in each community are fully redundant — meaning that customers are protected from a single failure impacting the whole network.

Looking forward to phase two

Our ultimate goal at GCI is to serve ALL Alaskans. That’s why we’re not stopping at the six initial Aleutians communities. Phase two of the project, pending approved funding plans in partnership with the community of Port Lions, aims to connect the communities of Port Lions, Ouzinkie, Chignik Lake, Chignik Lagoon, Cold Bay and False Pass to the subsea fiber network currently being built. A decision on the joint grant application is expected later this year.

In conclusion

The $58 million AU-Aleutians Fiber Project will run from Kodiak along the south side of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians to Unalaska. When it’s complete in late 2022, the project will deliver urban-level speed, service, and reliability to Unalaska, King Cove, Sand Point, Akutan, Chignik Bay, and Larsen Bay. And I, for one, can’t wait to see my hometown thrive as a result of this project.

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Did you know?

If New York City had the same population density as Alaska, only 16 people would be living in Manhattan.

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