GCI Holdings has announced an agreement to acquire Alaskan fiber infrastructure provider Quintillion for $310 million.

As part of the deal, GCI will acquire 100 percent of the business as part of its plans to bolster fiber infrastructure across the state. Quintillion is being sold by investment firm Grain Management.

The deal will combine Quintillion’s 1,800-plus miles of existing subsea and terrestrial fiber and around 1,500 miles of planned fiber expansion with GCI’s statewide network and operations.

The enterprise value of the deal is valued at $310m.

GCI said it will reimburse up to $50m qualifying capital expenditures related to the Nome‑to‑Homer Express project, which aims to provide redundant middle-mile backhaul capability for Alaska.

Once the acquisition is finalized, GCI, LLC will provide a $160 million unsecured loan to Quintillion.

“This combination is more than the sum of its parts,” said Billy Wailand, SVP of corporate development at GCI. “By bringing together complementary fiber routes, deep operational expertise, and long‑term investment under one operating model, we’re building a network that is stronger, more resilient, and better suited to Alaska’s realities than either company could deliver on its own.”

The deal will see the integration of GCI’s and Quintillion’s networks increase routing diversity across Alaska, thus reducing the risk and duration of outages. Once the deal closes, GCI notes that it will operate the combined network using its monitoring, maintenance, and restoration capabilities.

According to GCI, centralizing network management under one operator "will improve day‑to‑day performance and provide clear accountability during outages and restoration efforts."

“Quintillion set out to build resilient, Arctic‑ready fiber infrastructure in some of the most challenging operating environments in the world, and I’m incredibly proud of the network and business our team has built,” said Mac McHale, president of Quintillion. “GCI brings Alaska expertise, long-term commitment, and the operational scale needed to carry this network forward. We’re confident these assets will be in good hands.”

Founded in 1979, GCI is a subsidiary of Liberty Broadband and is Alaska's biggest communications provider. GCI provides data, mobile, voice, and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska.

The company has previously worked with network vendor Ericsson to deploy Ericsson's 5G Core in Alaska.

Quintillion was founded in 2015. Grain Management bought the company in 2023, with the deal closing the following year.

"We are proud of the progress Quintillion has made in building and scaling a highly differentiated fiber platform in Alaska," said Chad Crank, managing director at Grain Management. "This outcome reflects our disciplined approach to value creation: underwriting for resilience, partnering with strong management teams, and strategically scaling infrastructure in markets where deep sector expertise creates an advantage."

The deal to acquire Quintillion is subject to regulatory approval. GCI hasn't provided an expected completion date.

Law firm Baker Botts LLP advised GCI Liberty on this transaction.