Alaska Power & Telephone Completes SEALink South Submarine Cable and Landing Sites

“The SEALink South project will help Alaskans on Prince of Wales have better access to telehealth services, education opportunities, connection with family and friends, and so much more,” says Senator Lisa Murkowski. She said broadband access was a priority of hers when the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was being drafted in 2021.

SEALink South is funded by a $29.3 million US Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect grant, plus matching funds supplied by AP&T. Funds are also being used to extend fiber to homes across Prince of Wales Island, with new buildouts scheduled in Hollis and Klawock through next year and Craig in 2026.

Senator Dan Sullivan says, “This is great news for several of our Southeast communities that will soon be able to enjoy high-speed, reliable broadband connectivity. I look forward to continue working with stakeholders across Alaska to help keep this kind of innovative momentum going with the goal of connecting every community in our state.”

In addition to supporting AP&T, SEALink is available as a regional resource to assist other carriers. This includes Indigenous stakeholders working to develop tribal broadband solutions.

“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 & 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,” says Richard (Chalyee Éesh) Peterson, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

A History of Broadband Infrastructure Development

The SEALink South project builds upon AP&T’s track record of developing submarine fiber optic projects to meet Southeast’s broadband access needs.

The utility previously completed the Lynn Canal Fiber (LCF) submarine cable in 2016 to increase speeds and capacity at the northern end of its network. LCF connects to the Southeast Alaska Microwave Network and provides fiber optic-based transport between the communities of Skagway, Haines, and Juneau. The project involved developing a new beachfront cable landing site in Juneau.

SEALink itself began with a $21.5 million USDA grant to connect Prince of Wales Island to Petersburg, Juneau, and the LCF project. The SEALink submarine cable was installed in 2022, two years ahead of schedule. The project also involved construction of new beach landing sites and terrestrial transport fiber crossing land owned by the US Forest Service.