Technicians working on the GCI Aleutian Fiber Project have lit four of the 12 specialty fiber lines that will soon provide Unalaska with 2 gig of Internet speed.
The AU-Aleutians Fiber Project plans to provide Unalaska residents with 2,000 Mb/s of speed and unlimited data at an affordable price by the end of 2022. The deployment of more than 800 miles of submarine fiber was completed in late September, and the vast majority of Unalaska's new FTTP local access network has been completed. The final step in rolling out fiber to connect homes and businesses directly to the cutting-edge network will continue as GCI tests the new infrastructure and ensures its performance and reliability.
Once the work in Unalaska is complete, crews will continue down the Aleutian Chain and Alaska Peninsula toward Kodiak, stopping at Akutan, Sand Point, King Cove, Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay to install the new local access network. The new service is expected to be in every community by the end of 2024.
The project is expected to cost $58 million. GCI has received a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program to support the project. The company will use its own funds to cover project costs not covered by the ReConnect grant.
Jenifer Nelson, GCI's director of rural affairs, said, "We're about to light up the network and bridge the digital divide in Unalaska! Wow! We've been waiting for years to see these first fiber networks come online in Unalaska, and it's great to know we're taking another big step forward. City speeds and unlimited data will soon be a reality for thousands of Alaskans."
Mike Bertsch, GCI project manager, added, "Seeing years of planning and work come to fruition is a big moment for our project team. We've tackled so many challenges, from Covid-19 and supply chain issues to severe weather and rough seas. Making it happen on schedule was a huge accomplishment. I'm very proud of our team and look forward to bringing affordable, reliable connectivity to more communities throughout the region."
