This Alaskan town is finally getting high-speed internet, thanks to the pandemic



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Technicians and engineers install antennae receivers on Lena Foss’ home in Akiak, Alaska. Internet speeds will double in the town later this month, when it gains access to broadband internet.

Katie Basile/KYUK




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Katie Basile/KYUK

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Kids hang out near the school in Akiak, Alaska to access wireless internet through their phones.

Katie Basile/KYUK


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Katie Basile/KYUK

Kids hang out near the school in Akiak, Alaska to access wireless internet through their phones.

Katie Basile/KYUK

«It really focused the mind of everyone, Democrats, Republicans, governors, Senators, on the importance of getting broadband everywhere and making sure that everybody can afford to get on,» Levin said.

Since the pandemic hit, the federal government made billions of dollars available to expand broadband. It dedicated a large portion of the money to rural tribal lands, which are some of the least connected areas in the country. Akiak used the coronavirus relief funding to pay for its broadband project.

But money was only one piece of the puzzle for the village. The tribe is also relying on satellite technology that just became available in Alaska this year. Low-Earth orbit satellites, operated by a company called OneWeb, can deliver high-speed internet to rural areas that cables can’t reach.

Akiak Chief Mike Williams, Sr. said his tribe was motivated to act quickly on these opportunities after seeing the pandemic’s effect on learning in the village.

«The kids have lost between a year and a year-and-a-half of their education, because of no technology, no internet at the home, and no remote learning,» Williams said. «We may be forced to do a lockdown again. But we’re going to be prepared this time.»

As technicians install broadband receivers in her living room, Lena Foss watches eagerly, standing next to her broken dryer.

«When I have internet, everything I need for this dryer will be ordered,» she said, adding that she could learn to repair her neighbors’ appliances too.

«All this broken stuff would probably be fixed by YouTube. I would probably start a small business calling it YouTube-Fix-It-All,» Foss said.

That’s just the beginning of her online goals. Foss wants to google the laws on her native allotment lands, research grants for her village and file her taxes online.

«Internet will open my eyes,» Foss said. «I know it will.»

  • digital divide
  • broadband
  • Alaska



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