The project will deliver GCI's lightning-fast
2 gig speeds, unlimited data, and affordable plans to some of the
most remote and underserved communities in the nation
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Sept. 22,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Native Village of Port
Lions, in partnership with GCI, is the recipient of a $29.3 million grant from the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The grant
funds will be used to construct a subsea fiber network that will
deliver 2 gig residential internet speeds to the Alaska communities of Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Cold
Bay, False Pass,
Ouzinkie and Port Lions.
"During my recent trip to Alaska I met with the community
members of the Native Village of Port Lions and know this investment in their community will
be life-changing," said Assistant Secretary of Commerce
Alan Davidson in a press
release issued by NTIA Thursday. "Affordable and
reliable high-speed Internet for these remote villages means access
to jobs, health care and education. It also means keeping their
community's future alive by bringing their community members back
home."
The project award was the result of a successful collaboration
among local agencies, businesses, Tribal organizations, and leaders
from across the region.
"Everyone agrees that fiber provides the fastest and most
reliable broadband service, and we're excited to partner with GCI
to extend fiber-based internet service further into the Aleutians
and across Kodiak Island," said Native Village of Port Lions
Tribal Council President Nancy
Nelson. "And this isn't just about our community. The
NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a
once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the digital divide and
bring digital equity throughout the region and the state."
The Port Lions application was
submitted for consideration to NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity
Program (TBCP), which is distributing more than $1 billion for tribal broadband initiatives
across the nation. With the approval of this grant, work can begin
to connect consumers in Chignik
Lagoon, Chignik Lake,
Cold Bay, False Pass, Ouzinkie and Port
Lions to fiber, which means access to plans with the same
speed, data, and pricing as GCI's urban customers living in
Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.
"As someone who lived in a rural village for nearly 20 years, I
know the challenges of living in rural Alaska — high costs of living and everyday
essentials, limited infrastructure, and oftentimes limited economic
opportunities. I'm a firm believer that digital equality creates
economic and educational equality. Broadband deployment will be a
game-changer in rural Alaska," said Alaska
Governor Mike Dunleavy in
a press release issued by NTIA Thursday. "Ensuring all
Alaskans have access to equal economic and educational
opportunities has been a priority for me as governor. We are glad
to see federal infrastructure dollars used to improve the lives of
Alaskans."
The new buildout expands on the foundation of GCI's AU-Aleutians
Fiber Project, a $58 million project
that, when complete, will be comprised of more than 800 miles of
subsea fiber and local fiber-to-the-premises networks in each
community. That project is scheduled to deliver 2 gig service to
consumers in Unalaska later this
year. The GCI AU-Aleutians Fiber Project was partially funded
through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program.
"The GCI team is absolutely thrilled," said GCI Director of
Rural Affairs Jen Nelson.
"This partnership with the Native Village of Port Lions means GCI
can expand its AU-Aleutians Fiber Network, which is currently in
construction, to provide high-speed broadband data connectivity to
six additional communities in the region. Fiber is the gold
standard of connectivity. GCI has decades of fiber optic
experience, and we firmly believe that middle-mile fiber networks
are the fastest and most effective way to close the digital divide
in Alaska."
When complete, the AU-Aleutians Fiber Project will deliver
high-speed broadband service to the approximately 7,000 Alaskans
living in the Aleutian communities of Unalaska, Akutan, King
Cove, Sand Point, Chignik
Bay and Larsen Bay. With the
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grant in partnership with the
Native Village of Port Lions, Alaskans in six new communities will
be added and the network will deliver urban-level connectivity to a
dozen communities of all sizes in the region from Unalaska with a population of 4,333 to
Chignik Lagoon with a population
just 35 year-round residents.
"Gaining access to high-speed connectivity will be life-changing
for the residents of this region, especially when they've lagged
far behind others in the state for so long," said Alaska State
Representative Bryce Edgmon.
"The project will effectively close the digital divide between
these Aleutian communities and urban Alaska," said Senior Vice President of GCI
Corporate Development Billy
Wailand. "Fiber service will be a game-changer for
consumers, fishing and maritime industries, schools and clinics,
and will help these remote communities to realize their full
economic potential. We're grateful for the tireless support of Gov.
Mike Dunleavy; state Senator
Lyman Hoffman and Representatives
Bryce Edgmon and Louise Stutes; Tribal leaders and local
organizations."
"We're pleased the NTIA recognized the importance of bringing
digital equity to the region," said Kodiak Area Native
Association Project Coordinator Tyler
Kornelis. "As the organization that has provided
resources for improved health and wellbeing to communities
throughout the Kodiak region, we
believe that healthy individuals live in healthy communities. This
new, high-speed service will be a complete game changer as we work
to further elevate the quality of life for those we serve."
About the Native Village of Port
Lions
The Native Village of Port Lions was established after the 1964
earthquake and Tsunami destroyed the Village of
Afognak. Most of the people from the Afognak
Village moved to the new location named in
honor of the Lions Club for helping the people reestablish a
community. The federally recognized Port
Lions Tribal Government was established in 1973. At that
time the Native Village of Port Lions was the only Tribal
Government for the Afognak people. The tribe
provides essential services to its members and others that
live in the community of Port
Lions such as road maintenance, recycling programs, senior
meal services, child activity programs and more. Learn more
about the Native Village of Port Lions at
https://portlionstribe.net/.
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) (Nasdaq: LBRDK) (Nasdaq:
LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at
http://www.libertybroadband.com.
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SOURCE Native Village of Port Lions; GCI