$35 million
grant will deliver connectivity to Tununak, Toksook
Bay and Emmonak
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 22,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GCI announced today that it has
been awarded a $35 million grant from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development's ReConnect
program to bring fiber-optic connectivity to Toksook Bay, Emmonak, and Tununak. Connectivity will be delivered to the
three communities through an expansion of the AIRRAQ Network,
a joint GCI-Bethel Native Corporation (BNC) project to deliver
high-speed broadband service to communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta.
GCI has been awarded a $35 million grant from the USDA to bring
connectivity to three more rural Alaska communities.
The AIRRAQ Network (pronounced EYE-huck) was named after a
traditional Yup'ik game similar to cat's cradle and translates to
"string that tells the story." The name was chosen by GCI's project
partner, BNC, because the fiber will enable Y-K Delta residents to
share their stories and culture with the world.
"GCI is excited for the opportunity to close the digital divide
in even more Western Alaska
communities," said GCI President and Chief Operating Officer
Greg Chapados. "Fiber is the
high-capacity, low-latency, future-proof technology that the region
needs. Once connected, residents of Toksook Bay, Emmonak, Tununak, and the 10 other AIRRAQ Network
communities, including Bethel,
will have access to the same internet speeds, plans, and pricing as
our customers in Anchorage and
other urban communities."
"We're going to see a dramatic improvement to the reliability
and speed, unlimited data options, and significantly more
affordable plans in the region. Faster speeds will better
accommodate growing needs in the region including online learning
and telehealth," said Bethel Native Corporation President and CEO
Ana Hoffman. "We value the
partnership between BNC and GCI and our collective commitment
to deliver this service together."
Phase three of the AIRRAQ Network will bring ultra-high-speed
connectivity to 1,800 more Alaskans and will be a foundation for
future fiber projects in the region.
"This project will be transformative to residents of the
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta," said Senior Vice President of GCI Corporate
Development Billy Wailand. "We're
appreciative of the support from the USDA ReConnect program and
their recognition of the importance of this project, which enables
us to leverage the substantial investment GCI has already made in
the Y-K Delta with our own capital and other federal grants to
improve service throughout even more of the region. It will also
provide a backbone to expand fiber service to even more communities
in this important region."
"USDA Rural Development is working alongside Tribes,
municipalities, and telecommunication companies like GCI to
connect remote and rural communities to high-speed internet," said
USDA Rural Development's State Director for Alaska Julia Hnilicka. "I am deeply proud of the
partnerships created by the ReConnect program's support for the
buildout of the AIRRAQ Network. Alaskans deserve affordable,
reliable, high-speed internet, not only for students of all ages to
learn and thrive, but also for entrepreneurs and access to new job
markets. From healthcare to homecare, the unprecedented push for
equity of the Biden-Harris Administration is providing rural
Alaska with enormous
opportunities."
The AIRRAQ Network is a 405-mile fiber-optic network that
will deliver affordable 2.5 gig residential internet speeds and
unlimited data plans to more than 11,800 people. Phases I, II, and
III will connect 13 Western Alaska
communities, including: Bethel,
Platinum, Eek, Napaskiak, Oscarville, Atmautluak, Kasigluk, Nunapitchuk, Quinhagak, Tuntutuliak, Tununak, Toksook
Bay, and Emmonak. The
overall project is supported by more than $100 million in
broadband grants awarded by the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) Tribal Broadband Connectivity
Program (TBCP) and the USDA Rural Development's ReConnect program,
and by private investment by GCI.
About GCI
Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video,
voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and
carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The
company has invested more than $4
billion in its Alaska
network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched
true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation's northernmost 5G
service area. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq:
LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at
http://www.libertybroadband.com.
About BNC
Bethel Native Corporation is respected
as a business leader with offices in Bethel, Anchorage and the Lower 48. Bethel's companies engage in many diverse
lines of business including government contracting, construction,
logistical support, environmental remediation and commercial real
estate. Learn more about BNC
at https://bethelnativecorp.org/.
Visit the GCI Digital Newsroom for the latest news and
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SOURCE GCI
