This past August, the Federal Communication Commission adopted The Alaska Plan to protect the funds that have been used for more than two decades to help bring telecommunication services to communities across Alaska. Without these funds, Alaska telecommunications infrastructure and services would be a shadow of what they are today.
The Alaska Plan brings advanced broadband communications to even more rural Alaska communities and maintains millions in federal funds for Alaska’s telecommunications networks over the next 10 years. This successful public-private partnership will continue to strengthen and grow Alaska’s economy and is more important than ever as Alaska faces uncertain economic times.
The Alaska Telephone Association (ATA) developed The Alaska Plan when it became clear the FCC’s nationwide funding reform jeopardized Alaska’s telecommunications networks. “One-size-fits-all” national reform simply did not fit Alaska. In fact, the original reform plan would have caused a significant portion of Alaska’s federal broadband funding to be reallocated to the Lower 48 — ultimately at great expense to all Alaskans. Fortunately, due to sustained commitment and consensus amongst our members and the FCC’s support and willingness to find a solution, as well as continued support of the Alaska congressional delegation, The Alaska Plan has been adopted and a portion of the $4.5 billion national broadband support fund has been committed to Alaska’s providers.
With The Alaska Plan, ATA’s participating wireless and wireline providers committed to invest $150 million per year in federal funds to improve and expand fixed and mobile broadband service to approximately 100 communities in rural Alaska over the next 10 years. Each company has made concrete, enforceable commitments to build, upgrade and operate the infrastructure necessary to bring broadband to the vast majority of rural Alaska residents.
ATA’s member companies now have the certainty required to construct, operate and maintain broadband telecommunications infrastructure throughout Alaska, and make investments that might otherwise be too risky in these uncertain economic times. Our investments will improve and extend broadband, including middle-mile infrastructure — the fiber-optic cable, microwave towers and satellite transponders that carry communications signals between communities — and ensure ongoing broadband availability in parts of the state where telecommunications infrastructure would otherwise be infeasible.
ATA members’ commitments will result in substantial increases in home Internet availability and speeds, as well as large-scale expansion of advanced mobile services. For example, wireless providers have committed to bring service of 4G LTE or better to at least 85 percent of the rural Alaska population — more than 100,000 rural Alaskans. In addition, The Alaska Plan funding provides a specific mechanism to bring mobile broadband to communities that currently have no wireless service.
The plan also includes:
• Caps on the amount of support carriers may receive. In other words, a requirement to do more with less — ensuring the funding is put to work for Alaskans.
• Ability to use funding to build middle-mile facilities or purchase capacity on other networks, which will be necessary to meet deployment commitments.
• Built-in accountability measures to ensure that companies meet obligations.
Since 1949, ATA and its member companies have been dedicated to — and remain committed to — providing advanced telecommunications services all Alaskans, rural and urban alike. The Alaska Plan allows us to deliver on that commitment by advancing our ability to provide the networks necessary to broadband service across Alaska.
Broadband in rural Alaska means access to educational content and services, job training, health information, real-time weather data and many other internet applications Alaskans rely on. The Alaska Plan will improve telecommunications across the state, improve our quality of life and strengthen our state economy. During a time in which our state faces economic uncertainty, The Alaska Plan is a major win for Alaskans.
ATA’s members look forward to visiting Juneau and our legislators this week and answering questions regarding The Alaska Plan and broadband service.
• Christine O’Connor is the executive director of the Alaska Telephone Association. Ed Cushing is its president.
