Alaska
Murkowski, Sullivan Announce $629 Million Funding to Boost Alaska’s Internet Connectivity
Washington, DC—Tuesday, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) welcomed the approval of Alaska’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), including more than $629 million in initial deployment awards to expand broadband access across the state. These investments will help narrow the digital divide in unserved and underserved communities and expand the economic opportunities that reliable internet connectivity brings to Alaskans.
The funding will support 29 broadband deployment projects carried out by 15 providers across Alaska. These projects—utilizing fiber, wireless, satellite, and hybrid technologies—are expected to bring high-speed internet service to more than 46,000 homes and small businesses across the state.
“For a state as vast and geographically diverse as Alaska, broadband access is not a luxury—it’s essential infrastructure,” said Senator Murkowski. “This investment will help connect more of our rural and remote communities to reliable, high-speed internet, opening the door to expanded economic opportunities, improved access to telehealth and education, and stronger connections between families and communities. I appreciate NTIA’s recognition of the importance of the BEAD program to our state and its efforts to ensure that we are able to maximize this initiative so that every Alaskan is connected.”
“As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, the lack of Internet access in so many Alaskan communities was a driving force behind my work to ensure that the broadband provisions of the bipartisan infrastructure bill focused on the truly unserved, my work on improving Alaska’s broadband maps, and my relentless advocacy for Alaska with various federal officials who I have brought to see Alaska’s unique challenges,” said Senator Sullivan. “These funds will go a long way toward the goal of connecting every Alaskan, which will unlock possibilities of expanded telehealth, education and small business opportunities. Importantly, it will better allow Alaskans to connect with one another. I thank NTIA for working closely with Senator Murkowski and me to ensure that our unique geography was taken into account when determining this award.”
“Congratulations to the State of Alaska on the approval of its BEAD Final Proposal, which will enable universal broadband availability across the state while safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth.“The Benefit of the Bargain rules ensured that each state and territory’s unique geography, terrain, and topography are accounted for when determining which technology solutions make the most sense to provide connectivity. No state presents more unique and formidable connectivity challenges than Alaska, and I commend the state broadband office for its tremendous work in bringing this Final Proposal over the finish line.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to fund broadband expansion in unserved and underserved areas across the country. Alaska received a total BEAD allocation of more than $1.017 billion to support broadband infrastructure investments across the state.
Under the program, funding is first directed toward deploying broadband infrastructure to unserved locations, followed by underserved areas and eligible community anchor institutions. The initial $629 million in deployment awards announced today will fund broadband deployment projects across Alaska using a mix of fiber, wireless, satellite, and hybrid technologies.
After funding deployment projects, remaining BEAD funds may be used for additional eligible purposes that support broadband connectivity and digital access. NTIA is expected to provide additional guidance on the use of remaining funds later this month. Senators Murkowski and Sullivan are actively working with NTIA as they craft revised guidance, with the intent of ensuring that Alaska maintains the ability to use its entire allocation to continue modernizing the state’s telecommunications infrastructure.
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Alaska
Lavrov Challenges Rubio: Kremlin Says Trump-Putin Reached Deal as Moscow Questions Washington’s Neutrality
The Kremlin has pushed back against US claims that no agreement was reached between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the August 2025 Anchorage summit in Alaska.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Washington presented proposals to settle the war in Ukraine during the talks and that Moscow accepted them.
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Lavrov was responding to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has publicly rejected Russian claims that Washington and Moscow reached an agreement on Ukraine during the Alaska summit, saying no deal was ever finalized.
As reported by DRM News, Rubio said the summit produced only a proposal, not a binding agreement.
He added that the US remains ready to play a constructive role in bringing the parties together and helping end the war, but stressed that while proposals were discussed in Alaska, “there was no agreement.”
Lavrov struck back by calling the response “not very elegant.”
“When my colleague says that in Alaska there were only proposals and no agreement, I wonder what we mean by agreement,” Lavrov said.
“If one side, in this case the US, put proposals on the table, and the other side expressed agreement, then saying there was no agreement is somehow not very elegant,” he added.
According to Lavrov, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow days before the summit and delivered the same US settlement plan.
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“Already in Anchorage, when the two presidents sat down for talks, Putin began listing the American proposals point by point. After each point, in the presence of Trump and Rubio, he asked Witkoff whether he had correctly described the ideas brought to Moscow. Witkoff answered affirmatively to each question,” Lavrov said.
He called for clarification from Washington, adding that recent US statements about playing a constructive role in ending the war sounded like an attempt to position itself as a mediator.
Previous claims
In early June, Lavrov claimed Russia had accepted what he described as US proposals presented at the Alaska summit.
Lavrov alleged that Washington initially acted as a mediator but later stepped back from the process after failing to pressure Ukraine to accept the proposed terms.
This week, he also suggested that the Alaska summit may have been used to “buy time” for Ukraine to rearm itself, further arguing that Russia no longer views the West as a credible broker amid sanctions pressure.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also said Moscow remained committed to implementing the understandings reached in Alaska, while accusing Washington of “apparently [failing] to complete its part of the process.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that Washington cannot be considered fully neutral in the war because of its military support for Ukraine.
“If we’re talking about absolute neutrality, then, of course, the term is probably inapplicable, because the United States supplies the majority of weapons to Ukraine and provides other forms of assistance,” Peskov said.
At the same time, he said Moscow highly values Washington’s willingness to help resolve the war, as well as its influence over European allies and Kyiv.
Peskov also dismissed remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently said at the G7 Summit that Washington had abandoned neutrality and was now openly backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, continued aid, and sanctions against Russia.
“Regarding President Macron’s statements, it is difficult to judge. I don’t think President Macron can in any way claim to be Washington’s lawyer or press secretary,” Peskov added.
Alaska
Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines expand free Wi-Fi on flights
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Free Wi-Fi is available on more Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines planes.
The company said that 150 aircraft are now equipped with Starlink.
“For years, T-Mobile has played a key role in keeping our guests connected, and we’re proud to now offer Starlink, the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, to Atmos members for free, made possible through our work with T-Mobile,” said Shane Jones, Senior Vice President of Fleet, Products and Guest Experience. “We’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response from our guests, and we couldn’t have done it without T-Mobile as we continue to raise the bar for the experience across Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.”
Passengers must now be Atmos Rewards members to take advantage of the free service. The company said a new onboarding portal started in June, with the experience to become standard by mid-July.
Existing Atmos Rewards members will connect automatically, and new guests can sign up in just a few steps.
“Our relationship with Alaska Airlines has helped redefine what travelers can expect from inflight connectivity, and today’s milestone is another important step forward, said Mike Belcher, Head of Partnerships and Business Development at T-Mobile. “Bringing complimentary inflight Wi-Fi to more travelers across both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines makes it easier to stay connected throughout their journey. The new, streamlined experience for accessing Wi-Fi reflects our shared commitment to delivering a better, more seamless travel experience.”
The airline expects to finish installing Starlink across its remaining mainline fleet by 2027.
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