Bethel Native Corporation and GCI have partnered on a project to deliver high-speed internet to Bethel, Alaska, and 12 other communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. Once complete, the AIRRAQ Network will bring digital equity to 11,800 Alaskans living in the traditional home of the Yup’ik people.
The AIRRAQ (pronounced EYE-huck) Network’s name is a traditional Yupik game, similar to cat’s cradle, that translates to “string that tells the story.” Much like an airraq, the fiber network will allow the people of the Y-K Delta to tell stories, teach lessons, and share their history and culture.
The AIRRAQ Network is funded by three federal grants and will bring fast, affordable, unlimited internet plans to consumers in the Y-K Delta region.
The first phase of the project is funded by a $42 million grant awarded to Bethel Native Corporation from the NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. This phase includes a 405-mile subsea and terrestrial fiber backbone network. Starting in Dillingham, the fiber will follow a submarine route to the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, and then transition to an overland route to Bethel. Bethel is slated to come online first and Platinum, Eek, Napaskiak and Oscarville will follow soon after.
The second phase of the project is funded by a $31 million USDA RUS ReConnect grant awarded to GCI. This phase of the project will extend the project to five additional communities: Atmautluak, Kasigluk, Nunapitchuk, Quinhagak and Tuntutuliak. GCI will connect each community to the project’s fiber-optic backbone and deploy local fiber-to-the-premises networks, bringing affordable 2,500 Mbps consumer internet plans with unlimited data to even more Alaskans.
Phase three is funded by a $35 million USDA RUS ReConnect grant awarded to GCI. This phase will bring 2.5 gig residential internet speeds to Toksook Bay, Emmonak and Tununak. GCI will extend the AIRRAQ Network’s fiber-optic backbone more than 350 miles north along the coast of Western Alaska to reach the three communities.
The project will connect in Dillingham to a second NTIA-funded fiber project being constructed by Nushagak Electric & Telephone Cooperative (NETC) between Dillingham and Levelock. In Levelock, the NETC fiber will connect with GCI’s existing fiber to Anchorage, which itself was constructed with a combination of public and private investment. By working closely with local providers and leveraging existing and funded fiber infrastructure, GCI is making cost-effective use of federal infrastructure programs to close the digital divide for more communities and help bring digital equity to rural Alaska.
“The people of the Y-K Delta are resourceful, respectful, and resilient. We have a strong sense of community, and we depend upon collaboration with our friends and neighbors to be successful. We know the value of presence, and that is why I have so much confidence in this partnership between BNC and GCI and our collective commitment to deliver this service together.”
- BNC President & CEO Ana Hoffman
Life and culture in Bethel and the Y-K Delta remain largely centered on the rich traditions of the Yup’ik people. The region is almost 50,000 square miles from the western edge of Southcentral Alaska to the Bering Sea and includes the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers which form one of the world’s largest river deltas.
There are 56 Alaska Native villages in the region that are home to Yup’ik, Cupik and Athabascan peoples. With more than 6,000 residents Bethel is the largest community in the area and serves as the region’s hub for education, health care, and commerce.
High-speed, affordable internet will bring access to opportunities that can help grow the local economy in Bethel and the surrounding communities. This includes healthcare, government services, education, small business, and a variety of remote job opportunities.
What’s more? Customers who qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program will be eligible for free internet service.
Population: 363
Like most small communities in the region, Atmautluak is only accessible by plane or the river. This village is strategically located near narrow grassy streams that provide access to lands often abundant with salmonberries.
Population: 6,154
Bethel served as a trading center in the 1870s and is still a place of commerce for the region supporting economic development, centralized government, health care, education and tribal support services. The presence and traditions of an ancient Yup’ik culture compliment the vibrancy of this remote cosmopolitan community.
Population: 404
The name Eek is derived from the Yup’ik word, Ekvicuaq, which means bluff or bank of the river. The founders of this village situated themselves along high ground at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River.
Population: 855
A Yup’ik word meaning “black fish,” Emmonak is located along the Yukon River 10 miles from the Bering Sea. The community was relocated in 1964-65 from its previous location, called Kwiguk, 1.4 miles away due to increasing flooding and erosion.
Population: 652
Kasigluk is divided across two sides of the Johnson River: Akula and Akiuk. The Akiuk side is sometimes known as “old Kasigluk” and Akula is sometimes known as “Akula Heights.” The high tundra there can be a great place to harvest blackberries and cranberries.
Population: 494
Located in an area with abundant willows, Napaskiak has a system of board-roads that connects all of the buildings in the village. The large Orthodox church is a central gathering place for the community and the prominent cupolas are visible from miles away.
Population: 525
Located on both banks of the Johnson River, with no bridge, Nunapitchuk residents traverse back and forth throughout the day by boat and snow machine depending upon the season. This area is known for having large blackfish which are trapped with a uniquely engineered wooden trap.
Population: 67
Oscarville’s population began as a single couple, Oscar Samuelson and his wife, who operated a trading post in 1908. The Samuelson family operated the store until 1975. Although the village started with a store, residents now shop in other villages.
Population: 49
A former mining village and named for its platinum deposits, Platinum was a boomtown in the 1930s. It remains a quiet, peaceful community with breathtaking scenery of the Kuskokwim Bay.
Population: 762
The Yup’ik name for Quinhagak is Kuinerraq, meaning “new river channel.” The community is a long-established village whose origin has been dated to 1,000 A.D. Located along the Kanektok River, it is a popular place to fish for salmon, trout and other species.
Population: 492
Tuntutuliak, meaning the land of many caribou, was the first Alaska Native village to use renewable energy sources by implementing the use of wind turbines. Their pioneering success evolved over time and expanded to support wind development projects in neighboring villages.
Population: 638
Established in 1964, Toksook Bay is one of four villages located on Nelson Island and is located approximately 115 miles southwest of Bethel. The community’s residents, who are nearly all members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe, rely on fishing and other subsistence activities.
Population: 393
Located on a small bay on the western coast of Nelson Island, Tununak is primarily accessible by small plane. Residents rely on a wide variety of subsistence activities, including hunting, fishing and foraging.