Oil patch bits: High-speed broadband coming to Doyon region

Petroleum News

As reported by Doyon News Aug. 8, more than 1,000 rural Alaskans in five communities along the Yukon River will receive affordable, high-speed internet for the first time thanks to a tribal broadband grant funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

The collaboration between Doyon Ltd. and Alaska Communications will connect one of the most underserved regions in the United States with a fiber-optic cable that will be the foundation for expanding broadband to communities in the region. This transformative project will give rural residents access to virtual meetings, online classes, telehealth and online jobs without having to leave their village or way of life.

The communities served include Fort Yukon, Beaver, Stevens Village, Rampart and Tanana. Alaska Communications will deploy a fiber-to-the-home network in each community, offering up to Gigabit speed service at affordable rates. The network will connect to the Alaska Communications’ core fiber network in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The project is part of the Alaska FiberOptic Project, a larger collaboration between Calista Corp., Doyon Ltd., Gana-A ‘Yoo Ltd. and Alaska Communications to connect up to 20 communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers with fiber-optic cable. This segment is the first of three segments to get funding.

The four companies recognize that reliable, affordable, high-speed internet is the foundation for education, healthcare, economic growth and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of broadband and illuminated the growing digital divide across Alaska. The Alaska FiberOptic Project will bridge that divide for many rural communities. For more information visit www.doyon.com/news/.