onnectivity is crucial in rural Alaska, where reliable internet service has the power to dramatically enhance the quality of life for residents.

That’s why the Alaska FiberOptic Project is so consequential. The massive initiative will connect up to twenty-one underserved communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers with high-speed, fiber optic networks. The project partners—Calista Corporation; Doyon, Limited; Gana-A’Yoo, Limited; Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC); and Alaska Communications—will build, operate, and maintain the fiber-optic network and service.

“Reliable, affordable, high-speed internet is a key to connecting our people with the world, celebrating and advancing our culture, and offering opportunities for young people in our communities,” says Calista President and CEO Andrew Guy.

Doyon President and CEO Aaron Schutt adds, “There is no better time than now to connect our communities. This project will provide the most reliable, affordable, and fastest internet today and for the next generation.”

Alaska Communications, which grew out of the city-owned phone utility in Anchorage to become a subsidiary of ATN International, already operates the most diverse undersea fiber optic system connecting Alaska to the Lower 48.

“We’re honored to work with Calista Corporation, Doyon, Limited, Gana-A’Yoo, Limited, and Tanana Chiefs Conference to bring life changing broadband service to rural communities,” says Heather Cavanaugh, vice president of external affairs and corporate communications at Alaska Communications. “The remoteness of these communities has resulted in them being left behind. The Alaska FiberOptic Project will eliminate that divide for these communities, providing access to virtual meetings, online classes, telehealth, and online jobs without having to leave their village or way of life.”

Fiber internet will be a fast, reliable, and affordable alternative to current internet options for these communities, such as microwave. Cavanaugh explains, “We’ve heard feedback from rural residents about the cost being unattainable and burdensome, sometimes in the hundreds-of-dollars-per-month range, depending on data overages incurred.”

Consumer satellite internet, primarily Starlink, has arrived as an alternative, but Cavanaugh believes it’s not the best solution. “It comes with significant up-front costs for the equipment and is not as reliable as fiber internet. Starlink’s website references higher latency [data transfer delay] will occur in remote locations, including Alaska,” she says. “With Alaska Communications’ fiber-to-the-home service, residents will receive gigabit speeds, which remain stable and strong, thanks to the direct connection.”

Cavanaugh adds that Alaska Communications will offer available discounts for qualifying households on tribal lands through the federally supported discounts. “We are not charging installation fees and will share information about the FCC’s Lifeline program, which provides a discount of $34.25 a month on tribal land,” she says.

The Alaska FiberOptic Project has been progressing by phases since its launch. In 2021, Calista, Doyon, Gana-A’Yoo, and Alaska Communications submitted grant applications to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). So far, funding has been awarded for three segments: the upper Yukon River to Fort Yukon; from Fort Yukon to Circle, Venetie, and Chalkyitsik; and the Lower Kuskokwim River portions. Completion of these segments will connect fifteen communities to high-speed internet.

Alaska Communications began the permitting process in January 2023. The company is on track to complete the construction of the upper Yukon segment by the end of 2025 and the lower Kuskokwim segment by the end of 2026, Cavanaugh says.

More than 1,000 rural Alaskans in five communities along the Yukon River will be receiving affordable, high-speed internet for the first time through the Alaska FiberOptic Project. This is thanks to a $50.6 million NTIA grant awarded on August 8, 2022 to Doyon, the Alaska Native regional corporation for the Interior. Cable will be installed to each home in Fort Yukon, Beaver, Stevens Village, Rampart, and Tanana. Connectivity will also extend to schools, clinics, tribal and village corporation offices, stores, businesses, and other entities in the community.

The upper Yukon River fiber line will travel from Fairbanks along the Elliot Highway to the Yukon River Bridge. From the bridge, fiber will be embedded in the Yukon River channel, upstream to Fort Yukon, and downstream to Tanana. The fiber line will run 445 miles, with 135 miles overland and 310 miles underwater.

Work on the upper Yukon River segment encompasses construction and installation of equipment, kiosk environmental resource evaluations, deployment of fiber optic cable from existing utility poles to buildings, and terrestrial construction along the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks to the Yukon River Bridge.

Sarah Obed, senior vice president of external affairs at Doyon, says installation of the terrestrial portion will precede next summer’s work in the river to connect Beaver, Fort Yukon, Stevens Village, Rampart, and Tanana.

As work is completed in each village, there will be a variety of employment opportunities. Jobs for brush clearing, tree trimming, food preparation, and laundry support are available this year. Employment opportunities for 2025 will involve trucks and drivers, water taxis to ferry installation crews, and small boat captains to transport fuel.

Obed says internet service should be operational by the end of 2025. In the meantime, Doyon and Alaska Communications have been preparing villagers for the arrival of high-speed broadband. In May and June, a webinar in each village shared information on what community members could expect, such as how to sign up for service.

Community meetings enabled Alaska Communications to address questions about fiber-to-home device installation. “This device will allow customers to purchase services once the river-fiber construction is complete in 2025,” Cavanaugh says.

To Obed, the Alaska FiberOptic project is a “big step forward” in providing internet to the impacted Interior communities. “Doyon and Alaska Communications are really committed to providing high-speed internet to residents,” she says. “I think everyone sees it as a great opportunity.”

As the tribal nonprofit in the Doyon region, TCC is partnering with Alaska Communications to bring broadband to three underserved villages: Circle, Chalkyitsik, and Venetie. The initiative is funded by a $35 million grant that the US Department of Agriculture awarded TCC on September 19, 2023.

For this phase of the Alaska FiberOptic Project, instead of Fort Yukon being the end of the line, it’s the jumping-off point for the other villages. “The terrestrial fiber network will begin in Fort Yukon and extend to Venetie and Chalkyitsik. Submarine fiber cable will be placed in the Yukon River to connect Fort Yukon and Circle,” TCC explained at the time of the award.

As with their neighbors downstream, the three villages will be able to benefit from much-needed broadband internet. “The lack of reliable connectivity perpetuates disparities in education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and social well-being for our people,” TCC Chief and Chairman Brian Ridley said upon receiving the USDA grant. “We’re working diligently with our Native corporation partners, the Alaska [Congressional] Delegation, government entities, and Alaska Communications to remedy market conditions that have left our Alaska Native Villages on the wrong side of the digital divide. Mahsi’ Choo to the US Department of Agriculture and the Biden-Harris administration for this profound opportunity.”

While funding has been secured to connect villages up the Yukon River, work continues for villages farther downstream. “We continue to look for other opportunities to expand the network and provide reliable, high-speed fiber connectivity to other communities,” Cavanaugh says.

Alaska FiberOptic Project partners are seeking funds for the Middle Yukon River segment. This portion would link the upper Yukon River and Lower Kuskokwim River segments. If the Middle Yukon River segment is funded, the collaboration between Gana-A’Yoo, TCC, and Alaska Communications would expand broadband to six communities: Ruby, Galena, Koyukuk, Nulato, Kaltag, and Holy Cross.

This section—which spans more than 400 miles—would start at Tanana and travel downstream to Holy Cross. An overland terrestrial fiber line would run south to the Kuskokwim River village of Upper Kalskag, linking there with the Lower Kuskokwim segment connection to Napakiak.

Calista is working with Alaska Communications to connect seven communities along the Kuskokwim River: Upper Kalskag, Lower Kalskag, Tuluksak, Akiak, Akiachak, Kwethluk, and Napakiak. This section is funded by a $52.6 million NTIA grant that Calista received on October 6, 2022.

Thom Leonard, Calista’s vice president of corporate affairs, emphasizes the particular importance of the Alaska FiberOptic Project for the Southwest region. “Limited bandwidth in the Calista region is a barrier to economic development, employment, education, telehealth, and many daily functions that are now delivered online,” he says. “GCI’s Terra network is an incredible feat but is technologically limited. We are grateful for the opportunity to help expand reliable, affordable fiber-optic service in the region that will help our shareholders and other community residents to access virtual meetings, classes, medical appointments, and employment opportunities without leaving their village or their way of life.”

The Alaska FiberOptic project will cover 180 miles to connect the seven communities of the lower Kuskokwim segment. When complete, more than 2,300 rural Alaskans along the Kuskokwim River will receive access to affordable, high-speed internet.

Leonard says he expects household service to be ready by the end of 2026. “The project remains on track, and we are looking forward to construction beginning in 2025,” he says.

As the Alaska FiberOptic Project advances, its partners remain committed to bridging the digital divide for Interior river villages. Partnership has been essential to progress so far.

Leonard says, “We are grateful for the tribal support for this project, which was critical for us to receive funding. The leaders and residents in the communities are wonderful to work with.”