BETHEL, Alaska, July 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Yukon-Kuskokwim
Health Corporation (YKHC), the Tribal health organization for the
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and GCI, Alaska's largest telecommunications provider,
today announced that they will apply to the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for a
$53 million grant to launch a project
to extend high-speed, low-latency fiber internet service to
Bethel, Alaska. The project, which
would be completed in 2024, would bring urban-level 1 gig internet
speeds and service to Bethel and
other communities along the fiber route and will ultimately
transform internet connectivity throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta.
"Fiber's high speed and almost unlimited capacity will be
substantially more affordable for the families, businesses and
schools of the region," said YKHC President & CEO Dan Winkelman. "Our project is truly unique and
yet complementary to other regional proposals since fiber can be
the backbone of any local or regional network to achieve necessary
redundancy and reliability standards."
"GCI is committed to closing the digital divide in rural
Alaska and has a long history of
investing in rural broadband infrastructure projects," said GCI CEO
Ron Duncan. "Federal broadband
support has never been higher and YKHC and GCI are taking advantage
of this once-in-a-generation funding opportunity to deliver
urban-level internet speeds to a region that, by any measure, is
one of the most remote in the nation. When the fiber project is
complete, Bethel residents will
enjoy internet speeds as fast or faster than those offered in
New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago."
Bethel is the transportation
and services hub for the larger Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, home to
roughly 30,000 Alaskans. Situated on the banks of the Kuskokwim and
Yukon Rivers, the region is the traditional home for the Yup'ik,
Cup'ik, and Athabascan people. Bethel's comprehensive, Tribal health care
system serves 58 federally recognized Tribes and operates 41
village clinics, five sub-regional clinics, numerous residential
and outpatient treatment programs, and a regional hospital. The
region's school district office, supporting 4,300 students, is
based in Bethel, as well as the
headquarters for the Association of Village Council Presidents and
AVCP Regional Housing Authority.
The proposed project will follow a combined submarine route from
GCI's existing fiber network in Levelock,
Alaska, to the mouth of the Kuskokwim River where it is
expected to follow a terrestrial route to Bethel. GCI also will upgrade its local access
network in Bethel to offer
lightning-fast 1 gig internet speeds to residents. YKHC and GCI are
working to secure support from Tribal partners along the proposed
route.
The proposed projects will be submitted for consideration by
NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which will distribute
$1 billion for major broadband
infrastructure project across the nation. The deadline for
grant applications is Sept. 1, 2021,
and award announcements are expected before the end of the
year.
"Access to affordable fiber will launch the Yukon-Kuskokwim
region deep into the technologies of the 21st century
and open the doors to a world of possibilities," said
Winkelman.
GCI's commitment to the project doesn't stop in Bethel. GCI has committed to offer service
improvements throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim area with substantial
capacity increases to the heart of the region, which GCI plans to
extend to surrounding communities through future microwave and
local access upgrade projects. In addition, GCI will be upgrading
wireless services in Bethel and
the surrounding communities, leveraging the increased capacity that
the project will bring to the region.
GCI has a long track record of delivering on ambitious projects
and initiatives to connect remote Alaska communities. GCI's TERRA network,
completed in 2017 with support from the Department of Agriculture's
Broadband Initiatives Program, is a 3,300-mile fiber/microwave
network that connects 45,000 Alaskans in 84 remote communities in
the western region of the state. The Alaska United Aleutians Fiber
Project, supported by the Department of Agriculture's ReConnect
Program and slated for turn-up at year-end in 2022, is an 800-mile,
$58 million fiber project that will
deliver 1 gig service to remote communities along the Aleutian
chain including Dutch Harbor.
Earlier this month, GCI announced a $150
million partnership with Intelsat, a leading global
satellite service provider, to increase satellite capacity fourfold
to meet growing demand in rural communities not served by its fiber
or microwave networks.
About YKHC
Based in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and
headquartered in Bethel, YKHC
administers a comprehensive healthcare system for all residents
throughout western Alaska. Each
Tribe in its service area has authorized YKHC to provide health
services under Title III of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act of 1975. Along with 12 other Tribal
Organizations, YKHC is a co-signer of the Alaska Tribal Health
Compact, a consortium which negotiates annual agreements with the
Indian Health Service. YKHC also provides locally-based healthcare
services to veterans in partnership with the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs. Learn more about YKHC at www.ykhc.org.
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 $3 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.
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SOURCE GCI