Late last year, Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr got an “earful” from remote Alaskan residents who were concerned with how poor their access to the internet is — and they weren’t wrong. Alaska has, on average, some of the slowest internet connections in the country, primarily due to its distance from the rest of the continental United States.
But remote Alaskans may see faster speeds soon. MTA Fiber Holdings announced today that it would build the “first and only all-terrestrial” fiber optic network running from Alaska and into the Lower 48. The line will begin in North Pole, Alaska and will travel through Canada, connecting with Canadian carriers, where it will finally connect with “any major hub” in the US. A vast majority of...