Nushagak Cooperative, Dillingham’s local internet service provider, is now offering an unlimited internet option. The cooperative announced August 7 that it had removed the data cap for its most expensive plan, which previously provided 400 gigabytes of internet per month.
“That tier no longer has a limitation. They can download as much as they want to, or upload for that matter,” he said.
That’s Dennis Payne, the cooperative’s telecom operations manager. He says the bulk of members are on this plan, and they don’t need to make any changes to start using unlimited internet.
Currently, Nushagak uses a microwave broadband connection that links to a fiber optic cable in Levelock. Payne says that the microwave link has limited capacity. Too many people using it means a slow connection.
“Taking the cap off and giving everyone unlimited impacts how things perform,” he said. “There's a balancing act that we have to weigh because we've got a limited backhaul with that microwave system.”
But he says that the cooperative has been watching its network performance, and has determined they can offer the unlimited option at this time without overloading the microwave’s bandwidth.
“And right now we looked at it and we have the capacity to take care of that highest tier,” he said.
Unlimited internet will cost approximately $180 a month - the same as the 400 gigabytes did. Members can still purchase cheaper, limited plans, as well as add-on gigabytes if they need them.
The provider has faced recent competition from Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company. It offers unlimited internet at $99 a month, with about $600 of start-up cost per satellite kit.
Nushagak Cooperative will break ground on a fiber optic network this winter. The project will connect Dillingham and Aleknagik to fast, unlimited internet, without the need to assess network performance. According to Payne, the goal is to have a fiber connection to Levelock complete by next summer.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
