Because of the climate, distances and terrain it will require all of the tools on the telecom workbench to bring broadband to rural Alaskans. Three telecom companies – Quintillion, Alaska Communications, and AT&T – are tasked with building out the fiber optics and wireless networks for the largest and least densely populated state in the U.S. reported Alaska Journal of Commerce.
Alaska Communications will become the first reseller of OneWeb enabled broadband access, deploying low-Earth orbit, or LEO, satellites in late 2018 or early 2019, according to CEO Anand Vadapalli. This is just one of several initiatives that seek to improve broadband access for rural Alaska, putting residents on par with the lower 48 states from a telecom standpoint, noted Greg Wyler, the founder and executive chairman of OneWeb.
An initiative between Alaska Communications and Quintillion is nearly complete; a 1,200-mile subsea fiber optic cable main trunk line between Nome and Prudhoe Bay. Additional branches are also being installed to serve various communities. The connection at Fairbanks makes history by providing a fiber link between the continental United States and the North American Arctic, said Quintillion VP External Relations Kristina Woolston.
Additionally, a build-out is scheduled to reach London and Tokyo via a fiber optic cable buried under the Arctic sea. The fiber optic choice, with a 25-year design life, is a good complement to the current satellite interface, ensuring connectivity in Alaska. “Fiber is really expensive and there are many geographic obstacles. New technology is going to be very significant for our state,” Vadapalli said. “That said, given the vast geography of the state, fiber optics is also a necessary component.”
AT&T, which provides coverage to approximately 90 percent of Alaskan residents, is also expanding its build-out plans, having already invested $150 million in Alaska’s wired and wireless networks since 2014. This includes 450 miles of new fiber from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay in partnership with Quintillion. According to Shawn Uschmann, AT&T’s Director of External Affairs for Alaska, the company is focusing both on its customer access and a new effort to provide a nationwide public safety broadband network.
June 19, 2017
Reader Interactions