Category: Wholesale

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.

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

MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, is working to ensure the future viability and growth of middle mile transport networks in Alaska

Construction has commenced on the project, which is set for completion by mid-2020

Palmer, Alaska – May 1, 2019 – MTA Fiber Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, announced today that it plans to build AlCan ONE (Alaska Canada Overland Network), the first and only all-terrestrial fiber network connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States and beyond.

The new all-terrestrial network will initially have capacity of over 100 terabits per second, which 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 transport connection for decades to come.

“This is a major step for Alaska that will ensure future capacity requirements for MTA members and can support the continuing growth of broadband across the state of Alaska,” said Michael Burke, CEO of MTA.

Currently, MTA pays significant broadband transport fees to other carriers to facilitate high-speed access for its membership. The new all-terrestrial line will lower transport expenses, provide a secure and reliable route to the contiguous U.S. and provide Alaska with a stable internet transport connection. It is a long-term solution to give MTA and its members access to internet capacity while giving the option to reinvest funds in other parts of the company to better improve technology access.

“This new terrestrial network will ensure the future viability and growth of the internet in Alaska,” said Burke. “Alaska’s leaders have talked about a terrestrial fiber optic path out of the state for more than 20 years. We are pleased to be the ones to be able to make this a reality. This will be a major win for the people who live, play and work in Alaska, supporting business, job growth, and ultimately, the state’s economy.”

MTA Fiber Holdings has secured partnerships with Canadian carriers in order to extend MTA’s existing network from North Pole, Alaska, through Canada and on to any major hub in the United States. Only traffic that both originates and terminates in the United States will be carried over MTA Fiber Holdings’ all-fiber network.

Construction of the new terrestrial fiber line has commenced and will continue throughout 2019, with a goal of being completed by the middle of 2020.

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

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

May 26, 2020
By: Michael Burke, MTA CEO

Today, MTA Fiber Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTA, completed construction and officially commissioned 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 began construction in spring 2019, and with its completion, it establishes a secure, reliable fiber connection to any point in the contiguous United States. The line runs nearly 300 miles from North Pole, Alaska, to the Canadian border. From there, it connects with Canadian internet carriers, extending MTA’s existing network through Canada and on to major hubs in the Lower 48.

As our game-changing AlCan ONE fiber network comes to life today, our role in growing Alaska’s internet capacity digs even deeper into Alaska’s internet landscape.

Telecom Leaders Can Learn from Landscape Architects

When landscape architects start out looking at a plot of land, they have vision. They’ll consider and plan for the space, and then they’ll dig in, planting and designing a future, with a scenic oasis emerging over the years. In the early days of a garden or landscaped space, it’s hard to see what seeds or the tiniest of sprouts will become. But, where the average person might not see potential, landscape architects have vision. They trust their talents, knowing there’ll be a beautiful landscape that will grow up and into the space.

All of us at MTA work in telecommunications, but, in a way, we’re also like landscape architects. We have technological vision. In building the AlCan ONE network, we are laying the groundwork to meet our communities’ needs for today, while ensuring we meet internet demand and help Alaska’s economy, businesses and people grow and thrive in the future. We trust our digital capabilities and know what’s to come: better, stronger connections to each other, powered by the network we’ve designed and constructed.

For our members – as well as Alaskans across the state – AlCan ONE’s completion today means you’ll now benefit from a robust internet transport connection. And, as our state grows and demand for internet capacity increases, the network’s capabilities will scale, with potential to expand in capacity to more than 100 terabits per second.

The successful commissioning of AlCan ONE is not just a win for MTA – it is a win for all of the people and businesses of Alaska. We could not have completed this groundbreaking project without the help of other telecom 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 look forward to developing partnerships with telecommunications organizations across the state to plant even more seeds for the success of Alaska’s internet future and to further maximize the value of AlCan ONE for all Alaskans.

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