As the largest telecommunications network and investor in Alaska, GCI's engineering team is hundreds of Alaskans strong.
With more than 8,500 miles of fiber that is accessible to 80% of Alaskans, GCI owns and operates more fiber than any other provider in the state.
GCI is Alaska's leading provider of satellite service and is closing the gap in places fiber and microwave cannot yet reach.
Where fiber isn't an option, GCI's TERRA microwave network provides access to more than 45,000 Alaskans in 84 rural communities.
"There’s the rural divide, and then there’s Alaska. While operators work to bring broadband to remote parts of the contiguous U.S., [GCI has] practically moved mountains to make sure the Last Frontier isn’t just served, but super-served."
– Cablefax
High-speed fiber will help close the digital divide. GCI constructed an 800+ mile subsea fiber system to connect Kodiak, along the south side of the Alaska Peninsula, to Unalaska. The project delivers urban-level service and reliability for the first time to the communities of Unalaska, King Cove, Sand Point, Akutan, Chignik Bay, Larsen Bay, Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Cold Bay, False Pass, Ouzinkie, and Port Lions. Service launched in Unalaska in March 2023.
Equal access. In partnership with Bethel Native Corporation, GCI is extending fiber internet service to Bethel and surrounding communities by way of Dillingham under the AIRRAQ Network project. Atmautluak, Kasigluk, Nunapitchuk, Quinhagak, Tuntutuliak, and Kwethluk will also receive fiber connectivity, getting most of Southwest Alaska on a fiber footprint — and off the TERRA network.
$44 million. GCI is the nation's premier provider of arctic connectivity. We brought best-in-class LTE technology to Alaska's North Slope with a redundant fiber network that delivers connectivity to Alaska's oil fields. Spanning from Kuparuk to Point Thomson, this dual-fiber network supports advancing oilfield data requirements and improves overall operations. GCI will launch 5G on the North Slope in 2023.
The nation's northernmost 5G experience. Throughout summer of 2020, GCI wireless customers experienced major upgrades in Anchorage as we ramped up 5G. Since launch, wireless customers from Girdwood to the Mat-Su Valley have benefited from faster data speeds, improved coverage, and better voice quality — even in office buildings and convention centers.
High-speed fiber-optic connectivity to the Port of Alaska. 90% of the goods and products that Alaskans use pass through this port, which includes everything from gasoline and heating oil to most of what can be found in grocery stores. In addition, the port is one of only 19 commercial ports in the U.S. designated as a Department of Defense Strategic Seaport, due to its vital role in supporting overseas deployments. GCI’s investment of more than $600,000 resulted in the installation of 3.5 miles of fiber optic cable to the Port, enabling it and nearby businesses to take advantages of GCI’s high-speed connectivity.
84 Alaska communities connected. This example of next-generation connectivity is a 3,300-mile hybrid fiber-optic and microwave network, serving more than 45,000 people off the road system. Creating TERRA (Terrestrial for Every Rural Region in Alaska) was a monumental logistical and environmental feat, connecting health corporations, school districts, Alaska Native organizations, and other vital entities in rural Alaska.
GCI operates and maintains a fiber optic cable system that runs undersea from Juneau to Seattle, connecting Alaska to the Lower 48 and bringing significant telecom capacity to the state.
The largest in Alaska. Our 10,000-square-foot facility brings together data center technologies and services in a redundant and secure location and includes 24/7/365 monitoring and service availability of 99.99%, backed by a service availability guarantee.
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When GCI takes on a new infrastructure project, its connectivity goals are always secondary to the preservation of the rich culture and history of that region.
Consider these questions when vetting providers to support the unique industry and community needs of rural education networks in Alaska.
Explore how to protect the availability of critical healthcare services, design networks for healthcare providers, integrate telehealth services into a solution suite, and address unique use cases for network technologies supporting healthcare services.