Alaska Communications and Old Harbor Native Corporation will build a middle-mile subsea cable system from Homer to Kodiak Island in Alaska.
Dubbed Project Nunapet, the deployment will see four tribal communities on Alaska’s Kodiak Island- Old Harbor, Chiniak, Akhiok, and Womens Bay - receive broadband service.
The deployment will comprise 155 miles of subsea cable from Alaska Communications’ landing station in Homer (mainland Alaska), to Ouzinkie on Kodiak Island. From Ouzinkie, the fiber optic cable will traverse the island’s eastern coast, landing in Narrow Cape, Old Harbor, and Akhiok.
Details, such as the cable’s capacity, have not been shared.
The project is funded by the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Round 2 grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Project Nunapet is hoped to provide a foundation for education, healthcare, economic growth, and broadband service improvements throughout the Kodiak Archipelago region.
“This grant award is exciting for the future of Kodiak Archipelago communities,” said Kristina Woolston, CEO of Old Harbor Native Corporation. “The Nunapet Project will fund critical communications infrastructure for remote Kodiak Island communities to improve access, reliability, and affordability. The project is critical to the retention of youth, supports the needs of our Elders, and will provide social, cultural, and economic development opportunities for our people, improving the lives of nearly 600 households, businesses, and health and human services organizations.”
Paul Fenaroli, president and CEO of Alaska Communications, added: “Despite Alaska's stunning landscapes, a significant digital divide has left many residents without Internet access, and this inequity has disproportionately affected Alaska Native people. Affordable high-speed Internet has been a long-desired goal for the rural communities of Kodiak Island and we’re honored to work with Old Harbor Native Corporation to realize this goal.”
Nunapet is an Alutiiq word meaning “our lands” and was chosen by Old Harbor Native Corporation as it represents how the fiber optic cable will connect communities via the land and sea.
Established in 1971, Old Harbor Native Corporation comprises more than 500 shareholders in the Anchorage, Kodiak, and Old Harbor communities, to develop economic and educational empowerment. It is one of 252 Native Village corporations established by the US Congress in 1971 under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).
Alaska Communications operates a statewide fiber network and a diverse subsea cable system connecting Alaska to the US. The company owns the AKORN cable, connecting Alaska to Oregon, and recently announced plans for the MYUS cable, connecting the US and Malaysia.
Last month, AP&T announced a majority stake in SEALink Networks with plans to develop subsea cables for Alaskan communities.
