Alaska Communications Buys GCI Fiber Optic Capacity

GCI (Anchorage, AK) has sold fiber capacity in its long-haul fiber optic network to Alaska Communications Systems (Anchorage, AK) for $19.5 million in cash. The sale includes both capacity within Alaska and between Alaska and the lower 48 states. Bandwidth capacity and terms of service will not be disclosed.

The network is a high-capacity fiber optic communication system connecting Alaska's major population centers with the contiguous 48 states. GCI constructed the fiber optic network to meet its own capacity requirements, plus those of a limited number of potential broadband customers. GCI recently completed construction of its fiber optic network and began carrying commercial traffic on February 4, 1999.