The new documentary “Every Last Mile” chronicles the untold story of connecting rural America. It follows three broadband construction crews as they overcome obstacles to tackle the monumental challenge of ensuring every American, regardless of where they live, has access to digital infrastructure and the opportunities it brings.
Connecting Unalaska
One of the remote areas featured in the film is King Cove, Alaska, a remote fishing community accessible only by air and sea. Undaunted by unpredictable weather, turbulent seas, and even volcanic eruptions, GCI’s broadband construction crews forged ahead and built out an 800-mile-long subsea fiber-optic network to connect the island community.
NCTA sat down with Jenifer Nelson, Senior Director of Rural Affairs at GCI and Alaska resident, who appears in the docufilm, to get an update on how the Unalaska community has been since getting connected to broadband.
The power of high-speed internet
“Every Last Mile” showcases GCI connecting King Cove’s school and clinic to 2.5 Gbps residential broadband. Nelson shared that the improved connectivity has significantly enhanced educational opportunities and healthcare services.
- Local students now have access to online resources and can participate in virtual learning, and residents are able to consult healthcare providers in larger cities like Anchorage.
- King Cove’s previous satellite connection couldn’t support sending larger radiology files like X-rays. The new broadband connection supports these telehealth capabilities, improving patient care.
- Thanks to the new fiber connectivity, the King Cove community was able to stream the high school basketball teams’ games as they advanced to the state tournament and won.
“It's hard to put into words how transformational it is,” Nelson described. “It's really going from nothing to two and a half gigs of speed. It's like you might have been walking, then on a bicycle, and now you're in a race car.”
Economically, broadband has spurred entrepreneurship and job creation in the isolated community. Having been solely dependent on the commercial fishing industry, recent market downturns have been harmful to the community. Now, the ability to find additional work remotely is life-changing for residents.
Nelson also noted the social benefits of the network, which have improved the quality of life for the inhabitants of Unalaska.
- New broadband connections have facilitated easier communication with friends and family, making it possible to use FaceTime, text pictures, and connect with communities online.
- For those who have left the King Cove area, the internet has made it possible to reconnect with the elders in the community and virtually visit with them.
- The native community has also taken advantage of the connection by sharing their culture through language classes and dance with those outside Unalaska.
“The connectivity is great because we get connected to the outside world, but the outside world also gets connected to us, and we can share the stories of our heritage, which has been here for 10,000 years,” mused Nelson.
Building out broadband in Alaska continues
GCI isn’t done bringing broadband to hard-to-reach areas of Alaska. Since filming wrapped, the internet service provider has already connected numerous other remote communities in the state, and even more projects are underway.
- In the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, GCI is building out more subsea fiber to connect from Dillingham to Bethel and deploying fiber into the home.
- Currently, construction crews are finishing up fiber work in Larsen Bay and Chiniak Bay and will kick off a second phase of building next month to connect the remaining island communities along the route in Port Lions, Ouzinkie, Cold Bay, False Pass, Chignik Lake, and Chignik Lagoon.
To witness GCI’s groundbreaking effort to deliver next-generation speed, service, and reliability to residents of Unalaska for the first time, watch “Every Last Mile.”