Alaska Broadband Office The Alaska Broadband Office (ABO) was created on August 9, 2022, when Governor Dunleavy signed Alaska House Bill 363 into law. The State of Alaska had been engaged in broadband work for several years, most recently highlighted through efforts of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband in their Final Report issued in November of 2021. Formal broadband efforts were then transferred to the Commissioner’s Office in the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. The Alaska Broadband Office oversees the State of Alaska's efforts to ensure all Alaskans have high quality, affordable internet. This will be done through two federal programs: the Digital Equity Act (DE) and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. These programs, established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed by Congress in November 2021, allocate funds to expand broadband access for underserved and unserved communities in Alaska. Alaska Broadband Grant Program UPDATE 6/11/2025: Alaska Broadband Grant Program Revised Calendar: June 6, 2025: “BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice” published by the National Telecommunications and information Administration (NTIA). July 5, 2025: State of Alaska opens revised Alaska Broadband Grant Program portal. July 5, 2025 – July 20, 2025: Alaska Broadband Grant portal open for grant applications. July 21, 2025 – August 2, 2025: ABO application review and subgrantee selection. August 3, 2025 – August 16, 2025: Public Comment Period on subgrantee selection. September 4, 2025: State of Alaska submits its Final Proposal to the NTIA. PUBLIC NOTICE: Pursuant to the June 6, 2025, Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, the ABO hereby notices the following Unlicensed Fixed Wireless (ULFW) providers: Alaska Communications AP&T Wireless, Inc. Ax-S-Anywhere Copper Valley Telephone GCI Communication Corp. Heritage Networks LLC Ketchikan Public Utilities OptimERA SpitwSpots Inc Whitestone Power & Communications that each provider has seven days from today to inform the ABO at ced.abo.general@alaska.gov, as to whether the ULFW provider intends to submit evidence that BEAD funding is not required for the Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) the provider serves. Evidence must be submitted on a BSL-by-BSL basis. The deadline to submit is 5:00 PM, Wednesday, June 18, 2025.