Author: dev

MTA Fiber Holdings Completes AlCan ONE, Historic First All-Terrestrial Fiber Line That Will Improve Alaska’s Connectivity

Post author By dev
Post date May 26, 2020

MTA Fiber Holdings Completes AlCan ONE, Historic First All-Terrestrial Fiber Line
That Will Improve Alaska’s Connectivity

Fiber line that connects Alaska to the contiguous United States and beyond, began construction in spring 2019

Palmer, Alaska – May 26, 2020 – MTA Fiber Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, has officially completed construction and commenced operation of AlCan ONE (Alaska Canada Overland Network), the first and only all terrestrial fiber network connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States and beyond.

AlCan ONE, which began construction in spring 2019, establishes a secure and reliable fiber connection to any point in the contiguous United States, providing MTA’s members, as well as Alaska as a whole, with a robust internet transport connection for decades to come. The network has capabilities of over 100 terabits per second, which can be expanded and increased as demand grows.

The line runs nearly 300 miles long from North Pole, Alaska, to the Canadian border before connecting with Canadian carriers, helping to extend MTA’s existing network through Canada and on to major hubs in the United States.

“After decades of talk about a terrestrial fiber optic path out of Alaska, our whole organization is proud to have accomplished this historic feat safely and efficiently,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “Especially during this pandemic, connection via technology is absolutely vital, and whatever short-term capacity forecast that we had when we began this project a year ago has been blown out of the water due to the COVID-19 crisis. We don’t know what the new normal is going to look like, but the AlCan ONE network lays the groundwork to meet the needs for today, while helping us plant the seeds to meet future demand and help Alaska grow.”

“The completion of this line is not just a win for MTA – it is a win for all of the people and businesses of Alaska,” said Francis LaChapelle, Vice President of Wholesale and Carrier Relations. “We’re very grateful for all of the carriers, communities, businesses and legislators who helped make this possible, and we’re confident that the benefits of this highly successful project will be felt by all. We’re looking forward to developing partnerships with telecommunications organizations across the state to maximize the value of AlCan One for all Alaskans.”

The Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC), whose annual awards highlight international players who have made outstanding contributions to improving the ability of people and firms in the Pacific region, honored MTA with the 2020 Outstanding Wireline Company Award for its
work on AlCan ONE.

For photos of the AlCan ONE project in process and more information on MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, please visit: www.mtafiber.com.

News & Alerts

Scholarships for Alaska’s Future | MTA Foundation

Post author By dev
Post date January 30, 2020

Scholarships for Alaska’s Future
By Jessica Gilbert, MTA Foundation Manager

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been excited to roll out the refreshed MTA Foundation, which serves to grow talent, promote technology awareness and boost economic development and entrepreneurship in our service area and throughout the great state of Alaska. (It also has a wonderful new website!)

Who knows what Alaska would look like if its current business leaders didn’t receive any training or education in technology? From our point of view, MTA initiatives like the landmark AlCan ONE all-terrestrial fiber line or the eUnlimited™ BYTE Gaming Tournament might not even exist, and residents all around our service area would be sorely lacking in reliable and secure internet connectivity.

With full-fledged and “all-in” support from our parent company, MTA, the MTA Foundation invests in communities so all of us in the Mat-Su Valley and those same residents of our service area do not miss out on technological and economic opportunities. A cornerstone of the MTA Foundation and its commitment to our community is the wide range of scholarships it awards to support students who are focusing their educations on honing technological, business and entrepreneurial skills. Through these scholarships, we are proud to sustain and prepare the next generation of tech and business leaders who might create the projects and initiatives of tomorrow that all of us can only dream of today.

Awarding $75,000 throughout three categories, the MTA Foundation Scholarship Program encourages the pursuit of a variety of educational goals for many kinds of students, including:

First-time college students
Returning students
Students participating in a vocational program or homeschool program
Students pursuing professional development that leads to a degree or certification

Our 2020 application period is now open and runs through April 6, 2020. To learn more about the range of scholarships being offered and apply, visit: https://mtafoundation.org/scholarships

Through these scholarships, Alaska’s students – and in turn, the rest of our great state – will be able to grow and reach their full potential.

When it comes to technology education, we believe in funding the future of our state. The sky is truly the limit in the Last Frontier.

News & Alerts Wholesale

MTA Fiber Holdings Wins ‘Outstanding Wireline Company‘ Award for Landmark AlCan ONE Project

Post author By dev
Post date January 28, 2020

Subsidiary of MTA Recognized by International Telecoms Leaders for Strengthening Alaskans’ Connections to Each Other and International Players

Palmer, Alaska – January 28, 2020 – MTA Fiber Holdings (MTAFH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today it is the recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Wireline Company Award from the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) for its construction and completion of AlCan ONE (Alaska Canada Overland Network), the first and only all-terrestrial fiber network connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States and beyond.

PTC’s annual awards highlight international players who have made outstanding contributions to improving the ability of people and firms in the Pacific region – and those aligned with PTC’s mission – to connect people and organizations for a better world.

In May 2019, MTAFH launched the AlCan ONE fiber network, commencing the construction of a dedicated fiber line for current internet transport needs and future capacity to support the continuing growth of broadband. With a capacity of over 100 terabits per second that can be expanded and increased in the future as demand grows, the network will establish a secure and reliable fiber connection to any point in the contiguous United States, providing MTA’s members, as well as Alaska, with a robust internet connectivity for decades to come. It is expected to be completed in spring of 2020.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized for our investment and dedication to improving Alaska’s internet capacity and connectivity in the years to come,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “We work tirelessly to help all Alaskans – in our service area and beyond – live their most connected and empowered lives. AlCan ONE signifies our commitment to following through on that idea, further growing the state’s businesses, jobs and economy for all those who live and work here with the help of a scalable, reliable, competitive telecommunications solution.”

The result of years of planning to establish a fiber line out of the state, AlCan ONE will also reduce MTA’s transport expenses, which ultimately will allow investment into other technological, infrastructure and community-centered improvements. This project is a pioneering step for the people of Alaska that will provide increased access to high-speed internet and support business and job growth, as well as increase community connections. AlCan ONE is aided by partnerships with Canadian carriers such as Northwestel in order to extend MTA’s existing network from North Pole, Alaska through Canada and on to the contiguous United States.

“AlCan ONE will connect Alaskans both regionally and internationally, and will reinforce the promising future Alaska has when provided robust technology and internet infrastructure” said Francis LaChapelle, Vice President of Wholesale and Carrier Relations at MTA. “We look forward to Alaskans seeing the benefits that this project will reap once completed, as well as partnering with other regional and international players to further these efforts in the future.”

For more information on MTA Fiber Holdings, please visit www.mtafiber.com.

About MTA Fiber Holdings

MTA Fiber Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, Inc., is the company delivering AlCan ONE, the first and only all-terrestrial fiber route from Alaska to the contiguous U.S. The new fiber network will establish a dedicated fiber line for current internet transport needs and create capacity to support the continuing growth of broadband

Media Contacts
Chris Guizlo or Kyle Wall
The Fearey Group for MTA
MTA@feareygroup.com, (206) 343-1543

Esports News & Alerts

MTA Announces Esports Partnership With Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Post author By dev
Post date December 9, 2019

Alaska Tech Leader to Support Mat-Su Valley Students’ Success Through Innovative Partnership

Palmer, Alaska – Dec. 9, 2019 – MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today it will become the official “Esports Partner” of Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD), the second-largest school district in Alaska and home to 46 schools with a district-wide enrollment of over 19,000 students.

Through the partnership, MTA will provide strategic support to MSBSD technology staff and students, enabling them to prepare, train and compete in the esports arena. MTA will also staff its office with two esports-related student interns selected from the district, provide students with free access to gaming equipment and supply jerseys for the MSBSD esports team.

This formal partnership with MSBSD illustrates MTA’s long-running commitment to giving back to the communities it serves alongside its efforts to grow Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Valley into a major hub for esports. MTA’s eUnlimited™ Gaming Tournament has been an annual hallmark of this commitment, and the MSBSD partnership will build on that success by incorporating a student tournament within the annual eUnlimited™ tournament.

“We’re proud to be leading the charge in establishing esports in Alaska, not only as a fun, modern form of competition but also as a valuable educational tool,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “As with MTA’s network, our goal with esports is to minimize the impact of distance on Alaskans to each other and to the Lower 48, and this partnership’s ability to align the cooperation and talent in esports with academic achievement serves as a promising step forward for the students of the Mat-Su Valley.”

“We’ve seen the promising potential of esports in terms of educational benefits for our students, and we are proud to solidify our partnership with MTA so those benefits are able to blossom even further,” said Reese Everett, Director of Instruction of Mat-Su Borough School District. “Bridging competition, discipline and teamwork through esports will improve engagement and boost students’ enthusiasm for academic success, and we’re excited to watch these results play out this school year, and into the future.”

The focus on esports from both MTA and MSBSD reflects the tremendous growth that esports has seen across America in recent years, with more than 427 million viewers expected to have watched or participated by the end of 2019. Within Alaska, more and more schools continue to incorporate esports into their curriculum; 35 high schools across the state participated in Alaska’s inaugural esports season during the 2018-2019 school year.

Media Contacts
Chris Guizlo or Kyle Wall
The Fearey Group for MTA
MTA@feareygroup.com, (206) 343-1543

Jillian Morrissey
Public Information Officer
Jillian.Morrissey@matsuk12.us or (907) 746-9251

News & Alerts

Co-Op Month: By the Community, For the Community

Post author By dev
Post date October 8, 2019

Is Co-Op Just A Buzz Word?
By Michael Burke, MTA CEO

With smoke clouds billowing and flames threatening infrastructure around the Mat-Su Valley, the fires that broke out this summer were devastating to our community.

Yet, in the face of this loss and damage, our MTA employees, many of whom are residents of the Mat-Su Valley and the areas hardest hit by fires, were out on the ground, working hard to thoroughly ensure that reliable internet service persisted – despite dangerous conditions.

The widely-recognized rapid response of MTA employees to make sure communities and MTA members around the Mat-Su Valley were able to stay safe and connected was a window into the ongoing work our co-op does to manage interruptions created by natural disasters such as fire, earthquakes and, of course, Alaska’s winter weather systems. But being a co-op is about more than that.

As we enter October, we welcome cooler weather and, hopefully, a respite from any additional fires this season. We also welcome Co-Op Month, a month dedicated to honoring co-ops and the benefits of community-owned and community-led business models.

This year’s theme for Co-Op Month is “By the community, for the community.” This theme is based on the notion that community solutions and improvements are best designed when driven by the people who live in and hail from those communities, and we couldn’t agree more.

But for everyone who knows us at MTA, it’s clear that “by the community, for the community” lasts longer than a month. We’ve seen this again and again, as we did with our employees who were out mitigating the damages from this summer’s fires and last year’s earthquake and whatever Alaskan winters throw our way. But we also see that our members are our community. Being a 100% wholly-owned co-op, MTA is committed to giving back to the communities we serve. Our members live, work and play in the communities we serve, and we do our best to really ensure we live up to what it means to be a co-op.

What It Means To Be a Co-Op

Of course, what it means to be a co-op can vary across place or size and context. Broadly speaking, co-ops are groups of people united to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and goals. There are various kinds of co-ops, but notably, consumer co-ops like MTA are businesses that are operated and managed by the people who use their services. This allows us to use our unique infrastructure and services to help enhance the lives of many residents in a way that best meets their needs and goals in their communities.

There are many benefits of being both member-owned and operated. Without external shareholders, MTA and co-ops like us are able to care about meeting members’ needs. Since our members elect our board of directors, and our board of directors are our members, there’s a great synergy of respect and responsibility to community needs going on throughout our management.

All of these operational nuances and benefits are not without reward. MTA’s co-op model also helps generate jobs in communities around the Mat-Su Valley, and we keep profits local and pay local taxes to help support community services in our region.

Co-ops have grown in both popularity and influence. According to the Cooperative Network and the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Cooperatives, there are more than 40,000 cooperative businesses in the U.S., comprising a membership of 350 million and $514 billion in revenue. Numbers aside, we work to go above and beyond to make sure “co-op” is more than just a trend on Twitter, or a novel idea spotlighted in the news. We make the effort to understand our members who live in and utilize our service areas, since they are ultimately the people who operate our business.

Focused On The Community

MTA does not merely “talk the talk,” when it comes to being a co-op. We are 100% member-owned, and we take our commitment to the communities we serve to heart, ensuring we “walk the walk” at all times to really show up for our members and communities.

And show up we do: if you’re involved in the Mat-Su Valley community, you’ll know that we are too. We host a monthly product showcase aimed at educating our members and the community on the ever-growing list of streaming options available, while hosting standalone tech education for seniors to make sure they are enjoying MTA’s wide variety of tech options as much as anyone else.

We also have an ongoing presence at beloved community events. One of the major events we participate in, the annual summertime Bear Paw Festival in Eagle River, is not to be missed. We have been an ongoing sponsor of the festival for years, and this year’s edition was another rousing good time. Our community events are a highlight for us, and we always love getting to meet and hear from our members in person.

It’s not enough for us to simply be seen out in the community, though. MTA also creates a community. Our role in growing esports throughout the Mat-Su Valley and across Alaska has helped establish the state as hub for all things gaming and esports, and our recent eUnlimited BYTE Gaming Tournament on October 5 surpassed previous events in terms of attendance and awareness.

We could go on, but our message for Co-Op Month is clear – MTA would not be possible without our community, which is why each and every one of our actions is tailored to the needs and goals of our community. We look forward to serving you, and with you, in the months and years to come.

MTA: Life. Technology. Together.
Connect with us on Facebook.

Esports News & Alerts

Registration Now Open for MTA’s Third Annual eUnlimited™ BYTE Gaming Tournament

Post author By dev
Post date August 21, 2019

Alaska’s Premier Esports Tournament Enters Its 3rd Year of Pioneering Technology and Education Engagement

Palmer, Alaska – August 21, 2019 – MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today that registration for the 2019 edition of its eUnlimited™ BYTE Gaming Tournament, the premier esports event in Alaska, is now open.

The third annual eUnlimited™ tournament will be held Saturday, October 5, 2019 on the MTA Turf Arena at the Menard Sports Center in Wasilla, Alaska. Highlights of the event include cash prizes for tournament winners, game demonstrations and a standalone tournament exclusively for Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District students within the eUnlimited™ series.

“MTA is proud to lead Alaska’s growth in the esports world and look forward to the connections between education and technology that eUnlimited™ will continue to develop,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “Our technology and internet infrastructure minimizes distances for many Alaskans, and we take pride in delivering innovative ways to continue connecting residents of the Mat-Su Valley to each other and to the rest of the world, as we have done since 1953. Esports provides a fun, social and high-tech new avenue for that same goal.”

Over the past three years, eUnlimited™ has served as a signature event helping to growing Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Valley – and the state as a whole – into a major hub for esports, all while underscoring MTA’s long-running commitment to giving back to the communities it serves.

“As our involvement in esports continues to blossom, we couldn’t be more excited about what the next edition of eUnlimited™ has in store for the esports fans and players in our community, including those who are newcomers to the space,” said MTA’s Esports Coordinator, Brandon Meiners. “It is an honor to give back to the communities we serve, and we are proud to provide students of the Mat-Su Valley with the opportunity and technological capabilities to engage in a fun and exciting event each year.”

In esports as well as other areas, MTA has remained rooted in the communities it serves through partnerships with local organizations such as Warehouse 49 and the University of Alaska Anchorage, and has hosted a variety of gaming events around Anchorage. MTA has collaborated with the Mat-Su Borough School District on helping its students get involved with esports, including advising on the district’s launch of its first esports league in 2018 and creating the district’s own tournament within MTA’s eUnlimited™ BYTE Gaming Tournament.

Connect with MTA on Facebook.

News & Alerts

Fire Updates Within MTA Service Area

Post author By dev
Post date August 20, 2019

MTA crew members are working hard to ensure connectivity in the Willow area impacted by fires.

Ensuring the safety and connectivity of our members is very important to MTA. If you are in an area impacted by the recent fires and need to make account or payment arrangements, please contact us. We are committed to helping our members during this difficult time. Stay safe.

This page will be updated as any pertinent information becomes available.

MTA: Life. Technology. Together.
Connect with us on Facebook.

News & Alerts

Alaska Technology Leader MTA Announces New 6,000-sq. ft Location In Wasilla, Continuing Expansion

Post author By dev
Post date July 16, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alaska Technology Leader MTA Announces New 6,000-sq. ft Location In Wasilla, Continuing Expansion

MTA Will Be Preferred Technology Provider of Shoppes at Sun Mountain; Requesting RFQs For Design of New Space

Palmer, Alaska – July 16, 2019 – MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today that it will open a 6,000-sq. ft location in the Shoppes at Sun Mountain, the brand new, premier shopping destination in Wasilla, Alaska.

MTA will become the preferred technology provider of the Shoppes, powering the entire complex with high-speed Wi-Fi access. The new space is set to include a retail sales location, call center office and an experiential multi-use area that will benefit members, partners and the community with interactive, high-tech features.

MTA is seeking proposals from an experienced architectural design firm, to provide an interior design bid and build for two separate, adjoining spaces.

“Whether it’s measured by our increasing number of members, our groundbreaking new projects via our subsidiary MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC which is completing the first all-terrestrial fiber line to the contiguous United States, or new partnerships in areas like esports, MTA is continuing to expand in exciting, high-tech ways, and this new location is a perfect symbol of that,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “We’re honored to be the preferred technology provider of the Shoppes at Sun Mountain, and can’t wait for everyone to see the end result.”

“We can’t wait for our members, partners, and the rest of our local community to experience MTA in a whole new light with this location,” said Jessica Gilbert, Public Relations Manager at MTA. “To be a part of the Shoppes at Sun Mountain moving forward puts MTA in one of the premier new retail locations in our area, where visitors will be able to look forward into the future of technology and innovation.”

MTA’s new location is tentatively set to open its doors late 2019 or early 2020. Its current 2,000-sq. ft Wasilla location on E. Parks Highway will close in that timeframe.

Connect with MTA on Facebook.

News & Alerts

Strengthening Community Investment By Investing In Eagle River, One Slippery Salmon at a Time

Post author By dev
Post date July 12, 2019

By Michael Burke, MTA CEO

It’s the talk of the town, an event unmatched in scale – the Slippery Salmon Olympics, held annually at the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce’s Bear Paw Festival, draws a significant crowd. And rightfully so – it takes a lot of skills to navigate an obstacle course, let alone while carrying a dinner tray, an empty can and a slippery salmon.

This unique event puts a quirky yet competitive flair on the Bear Paw Festival, an annual community summer celebration. Along the way of 34 years of Bear Paw Festivals, MTA has proudly served as a sponsor, carrying the torch of community support so all of us can get together, look back on the proud history of Eagle River, and celebrate its strength, resilience and independence.

As a 100% locally-owned and operated co-operative, we live in and share the communities alongside our members, and we have a genuine interest in their success. Investing in our communities and growing alongside them is vital to our values and who we are as a company, and we hope to demonstrate this to the Eagle River community with our continued support of the Bear Paw Festival.

While we stretch our salmon-carrying muscles in preparation for this year’s festival, which will be held on July 10-14 with a theme of “Shake, Rattle and Rebuild,” we’re highlighting our continued investment in Eagle River and the surrounding areas throughout the years. In looking back, we can see where we’ve been and continue looking forward with an even better focus.

MTA’s commitment to Eagle River and the communities we serve flows back to our earliest days of providing phone service to Eagle River to this year, where we are once again returning to support the Bear Paw Festival. Shawn Osbourne, MTA’s Marketing Events Specialist, has been closely involved with our Bear Paw celebrations over the years, noting that “participating in the Bear Paw Festival is always the highlight of our year, and it’s something our whole team gets excited about.”

Since those early days and into today, the momentum has built as we’ve continued investing in Eagle River’s residents to help the community grow and thrive in a variety of ways:

Our AlCan ONE network, operated by our wholly-owned subsidiary MTA Fiber Holdings, is the first and only all-terrestrial fiber route connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States. It will provide MTA’s members in Eagle River, as well as the rest of Alaska, with a robust internet transport connection for decades to come. It will be a major win for all Alaskans, strongly supporting business, job growth, and ultimately, our local economies.

Additionally, our MTA Foundation offers a range of scholarships specifically intended to help youth pursue education in technology or telecommunications, and we’re proud to have awarded 27 scholarships to recipients in 2019. Empowering students in Eagle River and throughout the Mat-Su Valley to pursue further education, these scholarships meaningfully support our youth in achieving their goals and dreams.

We’ve also regularly been welcoming Eagle River residents at our educational workshops, aimed at helping them live a more connected life, meeting their changing needs and being a better partner to each individual community member. We know times are changing fast in terms of technology, and we want to be there for our community each step of the way to make sure they’re aware of all the great streaming and internet options available.

These are all, of course, just a small sample of MTA’s work to shape our incredible communities. From this year’s Bear Paw Festival to the rest of 2019 and beyond, we will carry our mission and momentum forward and continue to find ways to invest in the great people, businesses and history of Eagle River.

MTA: Life. Technology. Together.
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Esports Jobs News & Alerts

Cool Job Alert: Esports Coordinator

Post author By dev
Post date June 18, 2019

Over the last several years, Alaska has become an emerging hub for esports, even making it into the local school curriculum and extracurricular team activities at more than two dozen high schools throughout the state.

MTA has played a major proactive role in this rise, with our eUnlimited™ Gaming Tournament having grown into a fixture in Southeastern Alaska. We’ve encouraged the growth of esports through hosting, booking and powering these annual events (with the fourth edition coming October 5), providing financial assistance to students who want to attend and participate, and more.

As we continue to expand our esports-centric activities and esports expands in Alaska, we’re excited to bring someone onto our team who will help lead this push for MTA, in what is perhaps Alaska’s first official career opportunity in the world of esports.

We’re hiring an Esports Coordinator – an avid gamer who’s familiar with eUnlimited™, has experience managing multiple initiatives and is ready to help expand esports in Alaska with enthusiasm. If you’re into gaming and want to be a part of something special, this is most definitely the role for you.

Details and application information here.

We’ve already received a great deal of interest in this position, so we encourage you to keep spreading the word. If you think you’re the right person, please get in touch!

MTA: Life. Technology. Together.
Connect with us on Facebook.