The Link Magazine BRINGING FIBER CONNECTIVITY TO THE ALEUTIANS AND MAKING IT PERSONAL. sponsored content July 2023 Alaska’s largest telecom provider, is bringing fiber connectivity to 12 Aleutian communities, including Unalaska, which received 2 gig consumer internet access in late 2022. With more communities scheduled to receive access this year, the endeavor is well underway. For one team member, interest in this massive undertaking goes far beyond her professional role as GCI Rural Affairs Director — for Jenifer Nelson, this project is personal. “I first heard about what we now call the AU-Aleutians Fiber Project when I started working at GCI six years ago,” recalls Jenifer. “At the time, GCI had just turned up its TERRA network in Western Alaska, and I was meeting with people who had just signed up for GCI’s new internet service. I heard firsthand how transformational it was for them. I kept thinking what a difference that kind of connectivity could make for the Aleutians.” Jenifer’s thoughts were driven by more than just her job. She is Unangan (Aleut) from King Cove, which makes the Aleutians Fiber Project one that literally hits home. “Every time I visit my family in King Cove, I experience the digital divide in real time, and I’m reminded of the challenges of getting connectivity in rural Alaska,” she relates. “It’s hard to put into words what a difference fiber will make. This is instantly life changing.” This transformational project provides direct local access to long-haul fiber bringing urban-level, speed, service, and reliability to some of Alaska’s most remote communities including Unalaska, Sand Point, Akutan, Chignik Bay, Larsen Bay, Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Cold Bay, False Pass, Ouzinkie, Port Lions and Jenifer’s hometown of King Cove. A Vision for Digital Equity GCI has been serving Alaskans for more than 40 years, so they understand the connectivity and communications challenges faced by the state’s many remote communities. While Anchorage and other hubs in Alaska make huge strides with advancements like 2.5 gig consumer internet and 5G mobile service, GCI realizes that incremental changes would never amount to digital equity across the state. As Jenifer explains, “we need bold steps, public/ private partnerships, and fiber to make real, lasting change in Alaska’s connectivity landscape.” Enter the AU-Aleutians Fiber Project. The $100 million AU-Aleutians Fiber Project runs from Kodiak along the south side of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians to Unalaska. With its more than 800-mile-long fiber optic backbone in place, the venture extends GCI’s gold standard for connectivity to areas which house some of the most remote communities in the Arctic, unlocking countless possibilities for thousands of Alaskans living and working in these areas. GCI, Photo: Savannah Yatchmeneff “It wasn’t necessarily the industry that attracted me to GCI, it was the opportunity to work with rural Alaska communities. It’s been exciting to learn about telecommunications and see the way it impacts people’s lives,” states Jennifer. “I have been supportive of this project from the very beginning when it was just a concept, and it will be super exciting when service lights up. It means a lot to me to know that I played a small part in helping connect not only my hometown but communities across the region.” - Jenifer Nelson Jennifer Nelson growing up in King Cove, a community she’s now helping connect with highspeed fiber access.
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