Behind the AlCan ONE Network

MTA Fiber Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alaskan telecommunications cooperative MTA that is responsible for the creation of AlCan ONE, is the first-ever terrestrial fiber network connecting Alaska with the lower 48 US states. Alaskans previously relied solely on subsea cables for that connectivity, explained MTA CEO Michael Burke. MTA undertook the AlCan ONE project because, as Burke explained, “We needed to explore owner economics.” In making the decision to do the fiber build, MTA “looked at our projected capacity needs going into the future and how much bandwidth we would need [based on] internet growth and what it would cost if we bought it on the open market,” he said. Based on that analysis, MTA determined that it would be more cost-effective to undertake the construction project, even without considering the wholesale revenues that the company has since obtained through contracts with other Alaskan carriers. Other carriers see the AlCan ONE connection as a geographically diverse route to the lower 48, augmenting the subsea connections. The availability of the network also helped one Alaskan carrier build a business case for bringing broadband to a previously unserved community.