Alaska-based internet provider GCI is entering the next phase of their subsea fiber optic cable project, with surveys completed in six communities across the Aleutians, the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island.
According to an Oct. 5 statement from the telecommunications company, crews recently finished surveying locations in Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Cold Bay, False Pass, Ouzinkie and Port Lions.
“The new, high-speed connectivity is going to be transformational for our communities,” said Denise May, the administrator for the Native Village of Port Lions. "There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we’re excited to work closely with GCI to make the process as efficient as possible.”
Planning for the project started in 2017. Five years later, Unalaska was the first Aleutian community to receive the service.
GCI said the second phase will expand service to a total of twelve communities from Kodiak to Unalaska.
In late September GCI crews were in the final stages of construction in King Cove and Sand Point. The company said in a statement that these communities are expected to be linked into the fiber optic broadband network by the end of 2023.
