Opinion: Internet for all, built for Alaska

Published 1:30 am Thursday, March 19, 2026

For too long, high-speed internet — something most Americans take for granted — has been a luxury in many Alaska communities. Entire regions have been left grappling with slow, unreliable, or prohibitively expensive service. In a state where distance and geography define daily life, connectivity is not just about convenience – it’s about opportunity.

The Alaska Broadband Office, housed within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, was created to coordinate the largest broadband expansion in Alaska’s history and ensure that communities across the state finally receive the modern connectivity they deserve.

With recent formal approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Alaska can now fully deploy its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program awards. Alaska’s share of this vision is significant: more than $1 billion allocated to the state, with over $629 million now awarded to fifteen subgrantees. These funds will support twenty-nine broadband deployment projects — fiber, wireless, satellite and hybrid systems — that collectively aim to connect more than 46,000 homes and small businesses across the state.

For some communities, the first signs of real, high-speed service may arrive as soon as this summer. Within three years, around 70% of BEAD locations from Utqiaġvik to Metlakatla are expected to go online.

That’s not just progress, it’s transformation.

Governor Dunleavy has been clear: connecting Alaska’s remote communities to reliable internet isn’t simply an upgrade to infrastructure. It’s an investment in Alaska’s future. Reliable connectivity allows students to take online courses, entrepreneurs to reach global markets, families to access telehealth, and workers to compete for remote jobs without leaving their communities.

History shows that when rural communities gain modern connectivity, young people stay, entrepreneurship grows, and long-term population decline can reverse. Alaska’s rural communities — so rich in culture, tradition, and natural resource — stand to benefit immensely.

Of course, building broadband in Alaska is no small task. Crews must contend with vast distances, harsh weather, limited transportation networks and costs that can dwarf similar projects elsewhere in the country. The Alaska Broadband office is helping to coordinate efforts, working with providers and communities, and ensuring investments are deployed strategically and efficiently.

This moment represents something Alaska has waited a long time for: a coordinated, statewide effort to close the digital divide once and for all.

The goal is simple — internet for all Alaskans.

And for the first time, we have the tools, coordination and the momentum to make it happen.

Julie Sande is the commissioner of the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.