Broadband infrastructure in Alaska is a whole different ballgame

It’s no secret that operators face a number of challenges when deploying fiber and other broadband technologies. But Wanda Tankersley, COO of Alaskan operator MTA, says providing internet service in Alaska comes with its own unique set of hurdles. MTA has around 35,000 internet subscribers and a service area of roughly 10,000 square miles. The operator is working to push fiber across its entire network and gradually expand its footprint, but progress is slow for myriad reasons. Like operators in the lower 48 states, Tankersley said MTA has to be mindful of supply chain and labor constraints, noting the latter is something Alaska always struggles with. It has to contend with a “really short construction season because [Alaska] is frozen solid the majority of the year.” There are also communities across the state that are not on the commercial electrical grid and use alternate sources of power, and others not on the road system that can only be accessed by boat or plane; these areas may best be served by satellite internet instead of fiber. Regardless, funding is another challenge. Tankersley said if MTA kept up its current pace of investment, spending roughly $24 million to $25 million annually on capex, it would take about 20 years to finish covering its area with fiber. An influx of federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill could drastically change the game.