The City of Soldotna featured a presentation at the Wednesday City Council meeting discussing the ACS Wireless Mesh Project. Heather Cavanaugh, Alaska Communications Systems Director of External Affairs and Corporate Communications was the featured speaker. Cavanaugh said the goal is to provide high-speed internet throughout high-density areas, up to gigabit in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai, and Soldotna.
(In referencing the image below) Cavanaugh said:
“So, the technology is a fiber-based fixed wireless mesh network. The mesh network would use equipment that you see here. On the righthand side is equipment that we would place. We’d like to use light poles that the city of Soldotna owns rather than setting up our own poles. On the lefthand side you can see is a piece of equipment that would go on a house. It’s about the size of an iPhone, but a little bit bigger. This is the equipment we would use. It’s relatively small and it can be mounted to existing light poles that are already in Soldotna.”
Cavanaugh said the ACS Anchorage trial in fall 2020 was completed successfully with the intended deployment in Soldotna this year:
“What we are looking for from the City Council is just your support in moving forward with a project like this in mounting antennas on light poles. What we would do at the next step is work with the city manager on the details of an agreement. We fully expect to pay the city for the use and access to the light poles. We want this to be a win-win for the city and its residents and businesses and then, of course, work for Alaska Communications as well.”
ACS says that they would be starting in areas with existing fiber in the ground but says that this technology would be able to create direct wireless connections between the nodes of the mesh system.
Cavanaugh said the cost to the service would be to offer rates comparable to Anchorage.