America’s Expanding Broadband Networks: The West Pt. 3
America’s cable broadband providers continue to be hard at work extending their networks to every community across the country.
America’s Broadband Networks Continue To Grow: A Year In Review
In 2024, cable providers expanded high-speed internet access nationwide, connecting more communities than ever.
WATCH: Panel Discusses Experience Building Rural Broadband
Recently, NCTA hosted a screening of the new docufilm “Every Last Mile” immediately followed by a panel discussion about lessons learned building broadband networks in rural areas. Panelists included: Tom Larsen, Senior Vice President, Government & Public Relations at Mediacom; Jeff Merritt, Market Vice President at Cox in Roanoke Virginia; and Jennifer Nelson, Senior Director, Rural Affairs at GCI. The panel represented each of the network operators highlighted in “Every Last Mile” which follows crews in northern Minnesota, the desert of Arizona, and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands as they do the
Every Mile of Fiber Has a Story: Delivering Rural Broadband Nationwide
Connecting rural and far-out communities to broadband networks is no small task. The United States is home to a wide variety of geographies, from vast, arid deserts to swampy marshes, and from tundra to wide open plains, no two infrastructure projects are the same. Cable ISPs have been working diligently over the years to extend service to every American, whether they live on a remote island in Alaska or have suffered the devastating effects of a hurricane in Florida. To tell the stories of all the feats of engineering and hard work happening around the country, NCTA.com has a new interactive
America’s Expanding Cable Broadband Networks: The Pacific West
As America targets efforts towards connecting every community to robust broadband – including the distribution of more than $40 billion in federal funds for building new networks – cable providers continue to do what they have always done: build out their networks to reach as many Americans as possible. Here is a small sampling of broadband projects by cable ISPs underway as they prepare to deliver superfast internet speeds in communities across the Pacific West. Check out NCTA.com for other projects currently underway in the Midwest and Central U.S. California Comcast has started construction
GCI's Mental Wellness Efforts Are Making an Impact in Alaska
Mental Health Awareness Month may be wrapping up, but GCI—Alaska’s largest internet service provider—actively addresses this important issue year-round. Unfortunately, Alaska has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and the limited access to services in the state’s rural and remote areas make the issue even more difficult to tackle. But GCI has made it a priority to contribute as much support as possible towards improving the overall well-being of the Alaskan communities it serves. Why It Matters: "We know Alaska is unique and there are many factors that lead to our state’s high
GCI Transforms Unalaska With Historic AU-Aleutians Fiber Project
Rural residents of Unalaska, one of the most remote regions in the United States also known for being the location of Discovery's "Deadliest Catch," are celebrating a huge milestone—the recent launch of GCI's 2 gigabit per second speed internet service in the region. This marks the completion of phase 1 (of 2) of the AU-Aleutians Fiber Project, which aims to bring next-generation connectivity to 12 Aleutian, Alaska Peninsula, and Kodiak Island communities in the state's efforts to close the digital divide. "This project has been years in the making, as we've learned more about the people who
GCI Gives Esports a Boost in Alaska
GCI is set to host the largest online esports tournament in Alaskan history, and it starts tomorrow. The GCI Northern Lights Invitational will take place over the next three weekends, and every match will be played over GCI's servers. The invitational is a $20,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournament, one of the most popular games among esports enthusiasts. Esports has been a fast-growing phenomenon over the past decade, and in Alaska, GCI has been a trailblazer for championing esports in the state. The ISP has provided a boost for Alaskan collegiate esports athletes through its
How GCI Built a Connected Alaska
In 1979, an Alaskan technology entrepreneur, Ron Duncan, started GCI in an apartment located in the small neighborhood of Bootleggers Cove in Anchorage, Alaska, with only three employees including himself. Fresh out of business school, Duncan wanted to bring competition to the long-distance market. Fast forward more than 40 years, and GCI has expanded its services significantly. Now Alaska's largest internet service provider with over 1,800 employees with Duncan still at the helm, GCI has deployed more than 10,000 miles of long haul, middle mile, and last mile infrastructure in hundreds of
GCI Aims to Reduce Suicide Rate, Promote Mental Wellness in Alaska
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Alaskans know better than anyone how important it is to support mental wellness initiatives. Alaska has one of the highest rates of suicide per capita in the nation, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. And in a state where distance already proved a challenge for its rural residents, with some only being able to travel by airplane to visit nearby cities or villages, the isolation periods that the pandemic brought with it were of no help to Alaska's ongoing battle against suicide and mental illness. But as the state's
