Alaska Plan

On August 23, 2016, the Commission adopted the Alaska Plan Order, which freezes $1.5 billion in funding over ten years and allocates that money to maintain, extend, and upgrade broadband service across certain areas of Alaska. Ultimately, fifteen rate-of-return carriers and eight of their wireless affiliates elected the Plan.

Middle-Mile Reporting Requirement

To track carriers’ access to these facilities, the Commission adopted a reporting requirement. The Commission described the data to be collected variously as “backhaul,” “middle-mile,” “backhaul and middle mile,” and “fiber network maps [and] microwave network maps.” The Commission required carriers to submit data for such maps “in a format specified by the Bureaus” and to update these maps annually if the carrier deployed such facilities in the prior calendar year “that are or will be used to support their service in eligible areas.”

FCC Affirms Alaska Plan Mapping Accuracy Requirements (Mar. 18, 2020)
WTB and WCB Deny ATA Petition for Waiver of 7.6m Accuracy for Fiber Links (Mar. 1, 2019)
WCB and WTB Extend Deadline For Alaska Plan Network Maps (Jun. 26, 2018)
Alaska Plan Order on Reconsideration (Feb. 28, 2018)
WCB & WTB Provide Instructions for Filing Middle-Mile Network Maps (Sept. 8, 2017)

Performance Plan Commitments

Consistent with the proposal submitted by ATA, the Commission provided that eligible providers that chose to participate in the Alaska Plan must submit a performance plan meeting requirements specified in the Alaska Plan Order.