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Anchorage, Alaska-Based Firm to Provide Telecom Services to State Government

Posted on: Friday, 19 December 2003, 06:00 CST

Dec. 19--Anchorage-based General Communication Inc. this week inked a $10 million deal to provide "core" telecommunications services to the state government, filling a gap left by its cross-town rival, Alaska Communications Systems, which recently lost a major state telecom contract.

Under its agreement with the state, GCI will operate and maintain the state's voice, data and video conferencing networks and manage the state's telecom help center for the next 18 months, said Stan Herrera, the state information technology group's chief technology officer.

From April 2002 until this fall, ACS had been the state's only communications-service provider under a five-year, $92 million contract. It had to build and manage a "converged network" using the same technology that powers the Internet that could carry voice, data and video services simultaneously.

State officials broke the contract in September, claiming ACS failed to meet deadlines, and ACS is scheduled to be "disentangled" from the state's telecom systems by the end of the year, Herrera said.

The state has extended its agreements with ACS to provide some services, including wireless phone service and dial-up Internet connections, Herrera said. Other pieces of the former ACS contract were put out for bids.

GCI will begin working with the state at year's end, when ACS pulls out, Herrera said.

Though GCI is taking over the state's voice, data and video networks, it is not planning a converged network that would combine all three. The state plans to re-evaluate that idea over the next 18 months, Herrera said.

Alaska Public Broadcasting Inc. has taken over satellite broadcasting and earth station maintenance and operations. The company had been providing these services as a subcontractor for ACS under the previous arrangement, Herrera said.

Officials still are seeking providers for satellite telephone and microwave radio services, Herrera said.

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(c) 2003, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

GNCMA,

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