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A startup called Alaska Tribal Spectrum received a $100,000 grant from the Denali Commission to register as many Alaska Native Tribes during the final months of last year’s application period. The initiative has signed up nearly 70 Tribes.
“We created a website and an application process to make it very, very simple to join a consortium application and get as many people, as many Tribes to grab a hold of for this free asset before, before the window closed,” said Jim Berlin who heads the Kenai-based nonprofit.
Because when it does close, any unclaimed broadband licenses will go to auction to private carriers. Berlin said it was a big push to get rural Tribes with poor internet to enroll on their website. Some faxed applications, others mailed in handwritten submissions.
Alaska tribes apply for FCC broadband licenses to improve internet access
Posted by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska | Feb 10, 2021
A new plan will extend high-speed broadband and cell service in rural areas. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld)
Alaska Native tribes are awaiting word on scores of wireless broadband licenses offered at no charge by the Federal Communications Commission. It’s part of a federal push to improve internet access in traditionally underserved communities.
A startup called Alaska Tribal Spectrum received a $100,000 grant from the Denali Commission to register as many Alaska Native tribes during the final months of last year’s application period. The initiative has signed up nearly 70 tribes.
Recently, GCI and Quintillion announced their partnership to bring broadband to Kotzebue and Nome businesses, schools and health clinics. It was stated they may be able to bring broadband to those residents by the end of the year. Some of you may be wondering if it will be affordable or why other communities on the fiber weren t included? After all, Quintillion fiber does land in those communities and if the goal is to serve rural Alaskans, why not add all those residents immediately
The problem is that we spend a lot of money and we re expanding broadband at a snail s pace. Large fiber and microwave projects that extend into rural communities are primarily aimed at providing broadband to schools and health clinics, which are heavily subsidized by the federal government. These systems, when used for consumer broadband, result in the high prices that you see today.