Alaska Power & Telephone Company (AP&T) has completed the SEALink South submarine fiber optic cable project a year ahead of schedule. A $29.3M USDA ReConnect grant, along with matching investment from AP&T, funded the project.
SEALink South expands connectivity in the state’s Alexander Archipelago region, putting a fiber ring around Prince of Wales Island and creating diverse routing options, according to an announcement this week from AP&T. The project is comprised of a submarine cable system that interconnects Ketchikan — a fishing town situated at the southernmost entrance to Alaska’s Inside Passage — with Hollis and Coffman Cove, AK; beachfront cable landing sites; various terrestrial facilities; and related transport equipment.
AP&T has a history of developing submarine fiber optic projects. In 2016, the utility finished the Lynn Canal Fiber (LCF) submarine cable project, designed to improve speeds and capacity at the northern end of its network. In 2020, AP&T developed the SEALink project, which joined Prince of Wales Island to Petersburg, Juneau, and the LCF project, with the assistance of a $21.5M USDA grant. The SEALink submarine cable was installed two years ahead of schedule in 2022.
Work on SEALink South began in 2022 following approval for the $29.3M USDA grant. Some of the funds also are being used to construct fiber-to-the-home buildouts in communities on Prince of Wales Island, including Klawock (scheduled for 2024-2025), Hollis (2025) and Craig (2026).
Southeast Alaska, sometimes called the Alaska Panhandle, is a 500-mile-long maritime region, which is inhabited by approximately 74,000 people within 35 communities. A large part of the population is Alaska Native.
AP&T said that in addition to SEALink supporting its needs as a rural service provider in Alaska, it also serves as a resource to assist regional carriers with “transport and routing diversity requirements. This includes indigenous stakeholders working to develop tribal broadband solutions who have actively supported SEALink throughout the course of its development,” AP&T said.
Richard (Chalyee Éesh) Peterson, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, said: “This project will bring reliable, high-speed internet access to Prince of Wales Island, opening up opportunities for education, economic development, and telehealth services. Tlingit and Haida/Tidal Network is proud to have played a role in this transformative project, which will greatly enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses in the region.”
