Hooper Bay

Delivering 1 Gbps fiber connectivity to every home, business, school, and clinic in Hooper Bay for reliable, resilient broadband to one of Alaska’s most underserved communities.
  • 1,200 Miles
  • $250M Investment

Project Overview

Hooper Bay remains one of Alaska’s most unserved communities, with residents relying on outdated 10/1 Mbps satellite-based services that fail to meet even minimum federal broadband standards. Quintillion’s proposed project delivers a transformational solution: a subsea fiber extension branching from the Nome–to–Homer Express route, paired with last-mile fiber to every home, business, school, and clinic within the PFSA. Once complete, the network will provide up to 1 Gbps service to the entire community—bringing world-class connectivity to a 7.5-square-mile coastal community that has never had access to high-speed internet.

The project is engineered specifically for Hooper Bay’s environmental and logistical realities. Deployment will follow best-practice climate resilience strategies, including environmentally sensitive subsea installation, cable burial designed to buffer shoreline change, and backup power systems to maintain operations during severe weather events. Construction will leverage updated transportation corridors already under repair following Typhoon Merbok—a storm whose devastating impacts underscored the urgent need for reliable communications in rural Alaska. By aligning deployment with ongoing federal transportation improvements, Quintillion minimizes environmental impact and accelerates construction in one of the region’s hardest-hit villages.

Bringing modern connectivity to Hooper Bay is not only a technological upgrade, it is a community lifeline. High-speed fiber unlocks access to telehealth, remote education, workforce development, public safety communications, and digital commerce, dramatically improving quality of life and economic opportunity. The project directly addresses longstanding disparities in digital access and supports the cultural and economic resilience of this Yup’ik community.

Funded through USDA ReConnect Round 5, this initiative represents a transformative leap toward equitable broadband across Western Alaska.

Project Route Map

Quintillion Alaska Map

Community Benefits

Modern Connectivity

High-speed fiber unlocks dependable broadband for homes, schools, and clinics, replacing outdated 10/1 Mbps service and giving Hooper Bay access to modern tools essential for learning, communication, and daily life.

Expanded Opportunity

Reliable internet enables remote education, workforce training, and online entrepreneurship—critical pathways for economic mobility in a community where 29.8% of residents live below the poverty threshold.

Stronger Public Safety

Improved broadband supports emergency communication, local coordination, and disaster response—needs made clear after Typhoon Merbok’s damage and the community’s reliance on unstable legacy systems during crises.

Healthcare Access

Fiber connectivity supports telehealth services, remote consultations, and digital health resources, helping residents receive timely care despite Hooper Bay’s geographic isolation and dependence on air and water transportation.

Funding Structure

USDA RUS Grant

$24M (100%)

Total Project Investment

$24M

This funding structure demonstrates our commitment to maximizing federal funding opportunities while making significant private investments to ensure project success. Our approach leverages public funding to de-risk infrastructure deployment in economically challenging areas while maintaining our ability to deliver high-quality, sustainable network operations.

Project Timeline

2022 – Planning & Permitting

Since the Project is funded by a USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) grant, it is a Federal undertaking subject to Federal regulations, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (1966 as amended) and its implementing regulations codified in 36 CFR 800 (as amended in 2004). Section 106 of the NHPA requires identification, evaluation, and consideration of impacts on historic properties that may result from the proposed Project. 

2023 – Phase 1 Construction

Joint collaboration with NTIA on the larger Nome to Homer Express Middle Mile Project for environmental and cultural permitting.

2024-2025 – Phase 2 Construction

Initiating subsea efforts in same season as Nome to Homer, taking advantage of resources while they are in Alaska.

2026 – 2027 – Phase 3 Completion

Providing Fiber-to-the-Home service to the community, with robust bandwidth options available.

Technical Specifications

Network Infrastructure

Cable Type:

Need info

Fiber Pairs:

Single-mode fiber

Capacity:

400+ Gbps per pair

Technology:

Fiber directly to homes

Resilience Features

Distribution Model:

Central hut with dedicated fiber ports

Scalability

High-capacity upgrade path

Resiliency:

Port-level failover, hardened infrastructure

Monitoring:

24/7 NOC surveillance

A centralized distribution hut provides dedicated fiber ports for each home, enabling consistent service quality across the entire community.

Quintillion’s network is built to operate reliably in Alaska’s extreme conditions, with backup systems and round-the-clock monitoring from our Anchorage operations center. This approach helps prevent disruptions, allows issues to be addressed quickly, and supports long-term growth as the network expands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Hooper Bay need new broadband infrastructure?
The community currently relies on a legacy system that cannot meet modern digital demands. Fiber infrastructure will close long-standing connectivity gaps affecting education, healthcare, economic development, and public safety.
Residents will gain access to stable high-speed internet for online learning, telehealth, remote work, video communication, and essential digital services—improving daily life and long-term opportunity.
Yes. Hooper Bay is a key node in a broader expansion of Alaska fiber infrastructure. By connecting through Quintillion’s coastal network, the project strengthens digital resilience for the entire region.
The project follows federal environmental and cultural resource regulations and leverages existing transportation improvements. Though environmental impacts may occur, this process minimizes disturbance while ensuring a safe and efficient deployment.
As part of Quintillion’s commitment to community engagement, the project may create opportunities for local participation in logistical support, lodging, transportation, and other services that support construction activities.
Final service tiers will be announced closer to activation, but the system is engineered to deliver modern, high-capacity broadband far exceeding current available speeds in Hooper Bay.

Want to Learn More?

Get in touch with our team to learn more about the Hooper Bay project and how it can serve your community or organization.
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