GCI launches 2.5 gig residential internet speeds in Deering and Kivalina!
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Fiber-optic connectivity and GCI 2.5 gig residential internet speeds have arrived in the Inupiat communities of Deering, located approximately 55 miles south of Kotzebue on the Seward Peninsula, and Kivalina, on the shores of Chukchi Sea 80 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Residents of both Northwest Alaska communities now have access to the same internet speeds, plans and pricing as GCI’s customers in Anchorage.
“We’re excited to launch high speed, fiber-based internet in Deering and Kivalina,” said GCI Senior Vice President of Corporate Development Billy Wailand. “These are challenging, long-term projects, but the benefits are enormous, particularly in communities like Deering and Kivalina that were limited to satellite service only. With each new launch, we are one step closer to closing the digital divide in rural Alaska.”
GCI began planning and designing this self-funded project in 2021. In 2023, project crews deployed more than 170 miles of new middle mile subsea fiber, connecting Deering and Kivalina to existing fiber-optic middle mile infrastructure in Kotzebue. This year, GCI built out local fiber networks in Deering and Kivalina connecting all homes and businesses.
More than 80% of Alaskans have access to 2.5 gig residential internet speeds through GCI. The company is adding to that number as it extends fiber-optic connectivity to more rural Alaska communities. GCI’s Aleutians Fiber Project, in partnership with the Native Village of Port Lions, will bring 2.5 gig residential internet speeds to 13 Aleutian, Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island communities. GCI has also partnered with Bethel Native Corporation on the AIRRAQ Network fiber project to deliver urban-level connectivity to 13 Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta communities.
Over the past 40 years, GCI has invested $4.7 billion in its statewide network. More than 97 percent of Alaskans live within GCI’s network footprint.
For more information about GCI’s Fiber+ internet service, visit: https://www.gci.com/internet/fiber-plus.
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.