ANCHORAGE, Alaska, April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- GCI
(NASDAQ:GNCMA) announced today that it completed a significant
portion of the expansion of the TERRA terrestrial broadband network
into Northwest Alaska. Phase 1 of
the TERRA-Northwest (TERRA-NW) initiative, which includes the
installation of five new microwave towers and three remote
repeaters, connects the network in Shageluk to Unalakleet and Shaktoolik. GCI funding for the project was
supplemented by a grant awarded by the Regulatory Commission of
Alaska.
"GCI is proud to add Unalakleet
and Shaktoolik to the list of
rural Alaska villages that will
benefit from the increased capabilities provided by the TERRA
network," GCI president and CEO Ron
Duncan said. "GCI's investment in TERRA reflects our
continuing commitment to rural Alaska."
Terrestrial broadband services to residential customers are
available in Unalakleet today.
Services in Shaktoolik will be
available this summer.
Construction has already started on Phases 2 and 3 of TERRA-NW.
Phase 2 is a 135-mile span between Shaktoolik and Nome including three remote repeaters and one
village microwave site. Phase 3 is a 205-mile span between
Shaktoolik and Kotzebue, including 5 remote repeaters and one
village microwave tower. GCI anticipates construction to
Nome to be complete by the end of
2013 and construction to Kotzebue
to be complete by the end of 2014. Like Phase 1, Phases 2 and
3 will be constructed and owned by Unicom, a wholly owned
subsidiary of GCI.
"The importance of Phases 2 and 3 cannot be overstated as they
will enable future expansion to communities throughout the
Northwest Arctic," Duncan said. "Several years ago, GCI envisioned
creating a terrestrial broadband network as an alternative to
satellite-delivery. I am happy to report that this vision is
quickly becoming a reality."
TERRA-NW connects to TERRA-Southwest, a terrestrial middle mile
project connecting 65 remote communities in Bristol Bay and the
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. TERRA-Southwest is a hybrid fiber optic
cable/microwave system that terrestrially connects rural
Alaska to the Internet Gateway in
Anchorage.
Visit http://terra.gci.com for more information. Follow
@terragci on Twitter.
About GCI
GCI is the largest telecommunications company in Alaska. The company's cable plant, which
provides voice, video, and broadband data services, passes 80
percent of Alaska households. GCI
operates Alaska's most extensive
terrestrial/subsea fiber optic network, which connects not only
Anchorage but also Fairbanks, and Juneau/Southeast to the lower 48 states with a
diversely routed, protected fiber network. The company's satellite
network provides communications services to small towns and
villages throughout rural Alaska.
GCI is in the process of constructing Alaska's first truly statewide mobile wireless
network, which will seamlessly link urban and rural Alaska for the first time in the state's
history. More information about the company can be found at
www.gci.com.
The foregoing contains forward-looking statements regarding the
company's expected results that are based on management's
expectations as well as on a number of assumptions concerning
future events. Actual results may differ materially from those
projected in the forward looking statements due to uncertainties
and other factors, many of which are outside GCI's control
SOURCE GCI