AP&T Celebrates Installation of New Fiber-Optic Cable in Lynn Canal

A new 86-mile undersea cable has been installed in the Lynn Canal. The fiber-optic line will bring faster Internet speeds to Skagway and Haines from a connection in Juneau.  Alaska Power and Telephone and several dignitaries had a celebration of Lynn Canal Fiber on Friday, Oct. 21 at the Skagway Traditional Council tribal house.

Skagway and Haines are currently being served by a microwave network for connectivity. The Lynn Canal Fiber project has been in the works for several years and has cost nearly $11 million, said Michael Garrett, chief operating officer of AP&T. The cable is sturdy enough to last for about 30 years. And it will eliminate the connectivity "bottleneck" that customers experience during tourist seasons.

The Silver Arrow took aboard 336 tons of cable on Sept. 12 from the Port of Tacoma and began deploying the 1-inch diameter armored undersea fiber on Sept. 21 at Lena Point, north of Juneau.

With improved speed for Internet service, there will be a new pricing structure for AP&T customers. But customers will no longer need to install a phone line into their homes if they want only Internet connectivity.


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