State proposes Akiachak Airport land lease for broadband shelter

Akiachak could gain hardwired broadband service under a state proposal to lease airport land to Calista Corporation for a communications shelter.

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities proposes permitting Parcel A at Akiachak Airport, about 625 square feet, to Calista Corporation for five years at annual rent of $625 plus fees. The lease would let the corporation install a shelter to provide hardwired broadband internet to the community.

The shelter is part of a regional rollout. Calista previously filed similar airport-land permits at Kwethluk and Napakiak, two roadless Y-K Delta villages, for comparable shelters. The Akiachak shelter fits within Calista's Alaska FiberOptic Project, which the corporation says will reach communities including Akiachak by the end of 2026. "This project will bring affordable, reliable high-speed fiber internet to residents and businesses in the seven communities, thanks to a resolution of support from each Tribe and funding provided by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)," Calista said on its website. NTIA describes the award as fiber service to 2,967 unserved households across 10 Alaska Native villages.

Akiachak residents would be the direct beneficiaries if the shelter helps deliver hardwired service, gaining more reliable broadband for school, telehealth, work and daily communication. Calista's project materials say each Tribe in the region issued a resolution of support for the fiber project.

Competing applications or written comments must be submitted to DOT&PF.