Alaska Communications says it used a variety of tools to bring broadband service and increase speeds to nearly 5,000 homes last year in the state’s largely isolated Interior region. The network operator used technologies such as XGS-PON, fixed wireless and DSL to reach towns such as Fairbanks and North Pole.  A total of 1,200 homes in those communities now have access to the offering, which as the spokesperson confirmed, is based on XGS-PON fiber broadband.Some other people in Fairbanks and North Pole also have new options in broadband, but at considerably lower speeds. Alaska Communications expanded service to 2,400 locations in those markets and in several others using a mix of DSL and fixed wireless supporting speeds up to 50 Mbps.

That build was funded, in part, through the Connect America Fund II (CAF II) program.

“While we consider fiber to be the gold standard, Alaska’s vast geography, weather conditions and existing middle mile network infrastructure make it hard to deploy a one-size-fits all technology,” the spokesperson said in the email.

Fixed wireless also underlies a project completed in 2022 that made gigabit service available to more than 1,200 homes at Fort Wainwright.

“Our network upgrades on Fort Wainwright use fiber-fed mesh wireless as the last mile delivery,” the spokesperson explained. “Our mesh networks use fiber and radios to create a redundant mesh of connectivity around the customer. We selected mesh because it’s fast to deploy, gives the customer a fiber-like experience and allows rapid deployment on military installations.”

The backhaul infrastructure underlying the Alaska Communications network expansion also used a wide spectrum of technologies.

On one end of the spectrum, the XGS-PON deployment is supported by the company’s core packet switched and optical transport networks. At the other end of the spectrum for lower-speed deployments, the company in “minimal cases” uses bonded copper for backhaul, the spokesperson said. For some of those lower-speed deployments, the company also relies on a combination of fixed wireless and fiber.

Interestingly, Alaska Communications fiber installations use a combination of aerial and buried cable. The use of buried cable is a bit of a surprise, recognizing that the ground in Alaska is frozen solid for a considerable portion of the year.

The company plans further expansion into the Interior in 2023 and beyond, according to a press release about the broadband expansion.

Fort Wainwright family housing equipped with an Alaska Communications receiver. Mesh networks use fiber and radios to create a redundant mesh of connectivity around the customer. (Photo: Business Wire)

Contact:

Heather Marron, Manager, Corporate Communications
[email protected]

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