TCC Broadband Service Map

Poor telecommunication options have been the reality for many years across the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) region. As the TCC infrastructure division looked into the reasons for these challenges, we realized that many of the statewide telecommunication firms were not investing in the region due to the poor return on investment. To them, the TCC region is huge, remote and sparsely populated making any project high risk with low return. TCC’s goals in involving ourselves in broadband are to minimize the risk of these projects, create telecom partners, and offer telecommunication options at affordable rates.

High-Level Project Goals That Will Lead to Improved Telecommunications in All of Our Region’s Communities

• Apply for funds to benefit the region and partner with existing telecommunication companies for long-term operations and management of any of the systems that are deployed.
• Ensure telecommunication partners commit to providing residential internet rates that are at or below the rates in Urban Alaska.
• Provide high-speed internet coverage to all parts of our region to enable economic independence.

Main Grants We Are Pursuing

We believe we have very good odds of getting these grants for a few reasons. As a large, healthy, Tribal non-profit, federal agencies want to fund our projects. Additionally our non-profit organization makes us tax exempt, which means that, unlike for-profit companies, we do not need to pay taxes on any federal grants received. This makes it desirable for existing telecommunication organizations to partner with us.

• USDA Reconnect: Round five is expected to be released in January 2024 with a maximum amount of $35 million.
• NITA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP): TCC received $4.5 million in round one and is prepping an application for round two in January 2024 in partnership with ACS to connect Tanana to Holy Cross via an in-river fiber optic cable.
• Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Funding: The Alaska broadband office has $1.2 billion in funding from the federal government and will be accepting applications in 2024 for broadband deployment across the state.

There are two ways to bring broadband to our communities: through fiber optic cables or through microwave radio. Fiber Optic Cables (Fiber) are physical cables that are laid between communities and homes. Microwave Radio (Microwave) is line-of-sight wireless communication technology that uses high-frequency beams to send information. Microwave is often used in places where laying fiber is not possible. Both of these systems provide high-speed internet and phone service. The map below shows the projects that are already underway in our region.