GCI 2.5 gig residential internet speeds are on the horizon in Chignik Bay, Larsen Bay
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — With construction complete and network testing underway, access to GCI’s lightning-fast 2.5 gig consumer internet speeds are just around the corner in Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay. Once complete, residents in both Aleutians Fiber Project communities will have access to urban internet speeds, plans and pricing.
Crews worked throughout the summer in Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay digging trenches, installing fiber conduit, and deploying fiber-optic cable directly to homes and businesses.
“Fiber-optic connectivity and 2.5 gig residential internet speeds are so, so close for the residents of Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay,” said Senior Director of Rural Affairs Jenifer Nelson. “People are not only going to be able to access everything broadband has to offer and have the world at their fingertips, but they’re also going to be able to bring themselves, their culture and their experiences to the rest of the world. It’s truly going to be transformative.”
Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay will be the fifth and sixth communities connected through GCI’s Aleutians Fiber Project, joining Unalaska, Sand Point, King Cove and Akutan. Construction is currently underway in Ouzinkie and Port Lions for the second phase of GCI’s Aleutians Fiber Project.
The first phase of the $100 million project is partially funded by a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s ReConnect Program. It includes an 800-mile-long subsea fiber-optic backbone, deployed in 2022, and the delivery of high-speed internet to Unalaska, King Cove, Sand Point, Akutan, Chignik Bay and Larsen Bay.
The second phase of the project leverages the 800-mile subsea fiber to deliver service to six more communities in the region. The Native Village of Port Lions, in partnership with GCI, was awarded a $29.3 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to bring connectivity to Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Cold Bay, False Pass, Ouzinkie and Port Lions.
For more information on GCI’s Aleutians Fiber Project, visit https://www.gci.com/aleutianfiberproject.
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.