Alaska Communications Expands Network Footprint Through Fiber Strategy
September 14 2020 - 4:05PM
Business Wire
Alaska Communications (NASDAQ: ALSK) has surpassed 150,000 total
fiber miles.
“As one of the largest fiber providers in Alaska, we continue to
upgrade and expand our existing fiber-based network,” said Diedre
Williams, Alaska Communications senior vice president, operations.
“This work enables us to increase bandwidth and capacity,
connecting government, healthcare, education, commercial and
consumer customers with high-speed, reliable and redundant service
across Alaska and into the contiguous United States.”
The company is expanding its fiber footprint in four main areas,
including:
- Wireless backhaul project
- Owned satellite earth station to increase capacity
- Expanded fixed wireless presence
- Fiber to the home
Wireless backhaul project
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska Communications has made
significant progress this year. Since January, the company has
turned up an additional 24 sites for its carrier customer’s 5G
wireless network in Anchorage. These 24 new sites added 8,000 fiber
miles to the company’s network, allowing it to reach additional
businesses and consumer customers.
Satellite services
Due to the remoteness of rural Alaska, many communities cannot
be reached by fiber. Alaska Communications’ satellite services
provide reliable connections and immediate reach, making
mission-critical communications possible in the most challenging
and remote environments. The company is actively selling service on
its fiber-fed satellite earth station, reducing costs and
increasing capacity for customers.
Fixed wireless
A fundamental component of the company’s rural broadband
strategy is fixed wireless for the last mile. So far under its
fixed wireless program, the company has lit up more than 13,500
locations through fixed wireless in rural communities. The fixed
wireless service sites are mostly fed by extensions of the
company’s fiber network. Many of these builds are funded in part
through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Connect America
Fund Phase II (CAF II) program. Read more about the company’s work
to reach rural Alaskans with high speed services.
Fiber to the home
The company’s focus on fiber to the home is primarily in
multi-dwelling units. Since January, the company has added 1,077
locations, bringing the total footprint to more than 7,000
locations, pushing higher broadband speeds and connectivity further
into our consumer market.
An additional component of the company’s fiber initiative this
year include upgrades to its Alaska fiber ring as well as subsea
fiber with optical transport network.
“The demand for broadband continues to increase, and we are
dedicated to providing a fiber network that meets the needs of our
customers both now and in the future,” said Williams.
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.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200914005178/en/
Media Contact: Heather Marron, 907-564-1326 Manager, Corporate
Communications
Investor Contact: Tiffany Smith, 907-564-7556 Manager, Board and
Investor Relations investors@acsalaska.com
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