Monday, Feb 14 2011 1:33PM
Some outlying Alaskan villages will have internet access for the first time due to the state's partnership with a satellite internet provider.
Some rural Alaskan villages are about to receive broadband Internet access for the first time after recently securing the services of a satellite Internet provider.
The state is taking advantage of Spacenet Inc.'s Starband Open Skies program, which offers service to the most remote areas of Alaska starting at about $50 a month. Funding for the program came from a $7.5-million grant in the federal stimulus program carried out under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service.
State lawmakers said the program - which Spacenet said nine out of 10 outlying homes should be able to receive - will help improve educational opportunities for rural Alaskans by providing them with the academic curriculum they need to get into college.
"Open Skies will enable access to services and resources including education and healthcare tools that millions of people across America already benefit from," said Senator Mark Begich.
Securing broadband Internet access is next to impossible in many rural sections of the country. To help spread the wealth, the Federal Communications Commission recently announced it would consider using an $8-million telephone subsidy program to expand broadband to rural communities across the nation.