Rural Alaskans find solutions in the sky during internet outage

WAINWRIGHT, Alaska (KTUU) – Rural Alaska has faced struggles with internet outages since an offshore fiber optic line was severed earlier this month. But residents and businesses in regions like the Bering Sea Coast and the North Slope have taken measures to work through the struggles of a lack of internet.

Melanie Bahnke, President of the Native corporation Kawerak, said the company was able to switch to its reserve Starlink system shortly after the outage and has since been using it for its offices.

“Currently, we do have some slowness of speeds — because we’re not on fiber, which is obviously the gold standard — but we are functional,” Bahnke said.

According to Bahnke, many residents of the community of Nome have also started using the satellite internet provider since the outages, including her own family.

“As of today, my husband has installed Starlink, because we’re being told that it won’t be until, at the earliest, August when the Quintillion fiber will be repaired again,” Bahnke said.

While Bahnke said that she is happy to have alternatives, she is looking forward to fiber optic internet becoming operational again.

Meanwhile, the situation on the North Slope is improving — but residents and businesses are still facing difficulties.

Samantha Wade of Wainwright said that her parent’s business is being affected, as cash is the only payment they can accept. Wade says that other businesses in the area are affected as well, and that the Starlink units that sent up to the region will not communicate with the credit card machines.

But that isn’t slowing its use in residences. Wainwright Mayor Chester Ekak estimates at least half of his village is now using Starlink.

“About, I’d say, maybe 60%, 50% of the homes have received Starlink. So everyone who needs to get online usually goes to their relative’s place or their neighbor’s and connects to the internet to conduct their business,” Ekak said.

Residents of Wainwright were without cellular service for about two weeks before it came back online, Ekak said, and that when he spoke with Arctic Slope Telephone Association half a week ago, they said home internet will be out for another three weeks.

Ekak said about five to 10 new Starlink orders come into Wainwright every day. Efforts are underway to repair the damaged offshore fiber optic line north of Utqiagvik.

Although frustrating, it’s not debilitating for those who are ready.

“We’re in rural Alaska — so we’re accustomed to having a backup plan,” Bahnke said.

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