How CVT is Driving Fiber Access for Off-the-Grid Alaskan Coastal Village

Copper Valley Telecom (CVT) has announced a major step forward in connectivity for Alaska's remote coastal regions. With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ReConnect Program, CVT will bring high-speed fiber internet access to the village of Tatitlek and surrounding communities in the Chugach Census Area.

This project builds on the successful 2020 completion of the "Fiber to the Home" initiative, which brought 25/3 Mbps fiber-based internet to the indigenous village of Tatitlek, a first for off-grid Alaskan communities.

Now, thanks to a $16.5 million USDA ReConnect Program grant, CVT will extend subsea fiber from Valdez to the remote community of Ellamar, continuing all the way to Tatitlek. This new subsea fiber will replace the existing microwave signal that currently connects these communities to Valdez. The microwave link, while crucial for initial connectivity, has bandwidth limitations that have been increasingly strained as internet usage has grown over the years. The new fiber infrastructure will provide 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload speeds—an exponential improvement—ensuring reliable, future-proof internet access for more than 140 residents in the region.

Copper Valley Telecom Brings High-Speed Fiber Access to Off-the-Grid Alaskan Coastal Village.

Tatitlek is located on the rugged southern coast of Alaska, a region characterized by its breathtaking natural beauty, dense forests, and proximity to the Prince William Sound. The area is home to indigenous communities that have long maintained subsistence lifestyles, and the harsh climate, with average winter temperatures near freezing and frequent heavy precipitation, presents logistical challenges. Snowfall and storms can disrupt transportation and communication, making high-speed internet access even more critical for education, healthcare, business, and staying connected with the broader world.

By replacing the microwave signal with subsea fiber, CVT's new infrastructure will significantly improve internet performance and reliability. It will also support essential services, providing high-capacity connections to local schools, healthcare providers, and tribal government facilities. This leap from the current 25/3 Mbps service to 1/1 Gbps speeds will empower the community to take full advantage of remote learning, telemedicine, and small business opportunities, helping the residents of Tatitlek and surrounding areas thrive despite their geographic isolation.

For more than sixty years, Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative (CVTC), dba Copper Valley Telecom, has provided high-quality communication services to the Valdez and Copper River Basin areas of Alaska. CVT offers a wide range of services to both residential and business customers, including telephone, long-distance, high-speed internet, and wireless voice and LTE data.

The company is also a key provider of high-capacity special access services for schools, libraries, hospitals, and government agencies via its robust fiber-optic and microwave network.