Cordova Telecom Chooses Subsea Cable Contractor
JULof90 | istock
FISH Net
The 171-mile system will connect Cordova and Seward, with branching units for additional connectivity to Johnstone Point and Chenega. The project is called “Fiber Internet Serving Homes in Alaska” (FISH). Funded by the US Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program, FISH will bring high-speed broadband service to the Prince William Sound communities.
Pioneer Consulting was brought in to assist with the project’s initial feasibility study in 2021. This work resulted in Cordova Telecom’s successful ReConnect grant application. With the success of those key preliminary studies, Pioneer has now been contracted to conduct a desktop study analysis and a detailed engineering study to define the FISH system requirements. The design phase is expected to be completed by this fall.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to assist in this critical project,” says Philip deGuzman, director of client solutions at Pioneer Consulting. “Cordova will soon benefit from high-speed, reliable connectivity. We’re proud to support this exciting effort and to work alongside Cordova Telecom Cooperative.”
Once completed, the submarine cable system will provide terabit capacity among the communities, facilitating gigabit speeds to end users through “fiber-to-the-home” links. The FISH system will also serve as a more advanced and reliable counterpart to Cordova’s existing fiber optic cable, which is vulnerable to a single point of failure.
“The FISH project is significant in many ways, but most importantly it will deliver Cordova the critical middle mile redundancy and internet capacity it needs,” says Jeremiah Beckett, CEO of Cordova Telecom Cooperative. “It was imperative that we have a team with the necessary skills and experience to provide an accurate assessment of the FISH project. Upon completion of the preliminary study conducted by Pioneer in 2021, we knew they were the right partner to make this system a reality.”
Making History
The track of oil and gas development in Alaska shows the footprints of bold companies and hard-working individuals who shaped the industry in the past and continue to innovate today. The May 2024 issue of Alaska Business explores that history while looking forward to new product development, the energy transition for the fishing fleet, and the ethics of AI tools in business.