GCI Communications is continuing to connect customers on Unalaska Island to its fiber-based Internet network, a company official confirmed last week.
In an interview with public radio station KUCB (89.7 FM), GCI’s rural affairs director Jenifer Nelson said the company has connected around 200 of Unalaska’s 4,000 homes, and customers are either receiving service or ready to receive it.
“Every day, there’s going to be another group of homes and addresses that are going to become available,” Nelson affirmed.
The project has been in progress for more than two years, and calls for GCI to connect Unalaska residents to broadband Internet through an 800-mile fiber optic line running between the Island and Kodiak.
Nelson said crews are conducting quality control checks and some other final steps before letting customers know that they’re ready to connect to the service. Customers who are told their service is ready can stop by GCI’s retail store to pick up the equipment they need and receive information on connecting it in their homes.
GCI said its Internet plans for Unalaska are comparable to what customers pay in Anchorage, with subscribers shelling out between $85 and $185 for service. Other areas, including Sand Point, King Cove and Larsen Bay, are expected to connect to GCI’s fiber-based Internet network over the next few years.
