The Federal Communications Commission is providing funding to continue improvements for broadband services in rural Alaska.
The FCC issued an order on Monday that will fund $19.4 million annually to Alaska Communication Services over the next ten years, specifically to improve voice and broadband service for more than 31,000 locations in rural Alaska.
The money comes through the Connect America Fund program run by the FCC, which focuses on providing access to communications services where they’re unavailable.
Phase II of the project is underway, and service providers must meet four requirements in order to participate, including minimum speed, latency, and usage allowance, as well as reasonable pricing compared to rates in urban areas.
In a press release Tuesday, Senator Dan Sullivan praised the five FCC Commissioners for committing to help increase speeds and service to rural areas around the state.
The ten-year time frame began on January 1st of this year and ends on December 31, 2025.
