GCI upgrading wireless service in communities across Alaska in 2022
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – From some of Alaska’s smallest, most-remote communities, to its largest urban center, GCI expects to invest approximately $150 million in 2022 to improve connectivity in communities across the state. A significant portion of the $150 million investment will be used to improve wireless service in Alaska’s urban cities, as well as in rural communities like Bethel and Unalaska, and even in small, far-flung villages like Little Diomede, an Inupiaq community with 115 residents located in the Bering Strait.
“Building, maintaining, and upgrading wireless networks in Alaska is a challenge, even in urban areas, but it’s a crucial element in bringing digital equity to the state,” said Senior Vice President of GCI Corporate Development Billy Wailand. “Whether we’re using fiber, microwave, or satellite backhaul to deliver wireless service, GCI is committed to bringing the best-possible connectivity to each community we serve.”
GCI has made significant investments in recent years in its middle mile infrastructure, including its $300 million TERRA network, which provides broadband access to 45,000 Alaskans in 84 rural communities; a multi-year $150 million partnership with Intelsat, a global leader in satellite connectivity services; and its $58 million AU-Aleutians Fiber Project, which will deliver 2 gigabit speeds to residential customers in six remote communities along the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Chain, including Unalaska and the tiny community of Larsen Bay (population 80).
GCI’s 2022 wireless upgrade plan includes the following communities:
- Anchorage, population 293,531
- Bethel, population 6,472
- Fairbanks, population 31,551
- Hoonah, population 808
- Juneau, population 32,227
- Little Diomede, population 115
- Palmer, population 7,131
- Prudhoe Bay, population 1,718
- Scotty Lake (Trapper Creek), population 358
- Talkeetna, population 1,237
- Unalaska, population 4,724
- Wasilla, population 10,071
Over the past 40 years, GCI has invested more than $4 billion in its statewide network. More than 97 percent of Alaskans live within GCI’s network footprint.
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.