Alaska Communications Expands Network with Satellite Offering
November 07 2017 - 4:05PM
Business Wire
Alaska Communications (NASDAQ: ALSK), the state’s leading
broadband and managed IT services company, recently became a
satellite network provider.
The company entered an agreement with Eutelsat Americas, a
subsidiary of Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL),
leasing transponder space in the C-Band. This now allows favorable
economics and significant savings in offering services for
businesses, schools, health care providers, and government
applications in remote communities across Alaska.
“Entering the market as a satellite provider instead of a
reseller gives us more flexibility and control over our product,
which we will use to provide more value for customers,” Alaska
Communications Senior Vice President, Business Market Bill Bishop
said. “We can offer our customers competitive pricing and value
added services we’ll manage end to end. As a statewide provider,
it’s important to us to serve customers in remote areas, including
the North Slope and Arctic regions.”
One of the remote areas Alaska Communications will serve with
its new satellite capabilities is TDX at St. Paul Island, a
community north of the Aleutian Island chain almost 300 miles out
in the Bering Sea. TDX is the Alaska Native Corporation for St.
Paul Island. TDX, as the primary internet service provider, will
provide last mile broadband internet service to its customers
through its newly laid fiber optic cable to each home, and will be
using Alaska Communications’ new satellite offering to provide the
middle mile broadband capacity to the island.
“All rural communities in Alaska struggle to find affordable
broadband capacity to the community,” TDX CEO Ron Philemonoff
said. “We’ve found that though many providers can provide the
services we need, Alaska Communications has by far the best value
in a middle mile satellite broadband package.”
Alaska Communications will help TDX with its main focus: using
broadband to improve the quality of life in St. Paul’s remote and
harsh environment.
“Like in much of rural Alaska, when faster broadband speeds are
available, the possibilities can be life changing. St. Paul
residents can now explore online job training, e-commerce for
locally produced arts and crafts, better access to state
government services, tourism promotion, and better
videoconferencing with friends and family off the island,”
Philemonoff said.
Alaska Communications chose Eutelsat’s EUTELSAT 115 West B
satellite because of its coverage across Alaska, and reliable and
efficient performance. Satellite services can also create enhanced
back-up services, proving redundancy for several customers as well
as the company’s Arctic Fiber network. Coupled with a teleport
located in Anchorage to reduce latency, Alaska Communications is
well positioned to serve rural Alaska with satellite technology for
years to come.
About Alaska Communications
Alaska Communications (NASDAQ: ALSK) is the leading provider of
advanced broadband and managed IT services for businesses and
consumers in Alaska. The company operates a highly reliable,
advanced statewide data network with the latest technology and the
most diverse undersea fiber optic system connecting Alaska to the
contiguous U.S. For more information, visit
www.alaskacommunications.com or www.alsk.com.
About Tanadgusix Corporation
Tanadgusix Corporation (TDX) was created under the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act of 1971 to provide economic wellbeing for the
indigenous Aleut people who resided in the village of St. Paul,
Alaska, at the time of the act’s passage by Congress and their
descendants. With few business opportunities on St. Paul, TDX
operates successful business off the island that serve major
metropolitan areas and Alaska’s remote oilfield operations. TDX
focuses on providing exceptional service to customers and requires
all employees to conduct themselves with the Aleut people’s ancient
values in mind, including honesty, humility and hard work.
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Alaska CommunicationsMedia Contact:Hannah Blankenship,
907-564-1326Hannah.Blankenship@acsalaska.comorInvestor
Contact:Tiffany Smith, 907-564-7556investors@acsalaska.com
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