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GCI tackles spotty data coverage in Dillingham

Isabelle Ross/KDLG

Those with GCI data may have noticed that coverage has been spotty recently. Besides a short-term fix for fishing season, the network is working on a more permanent solution.

According to GCI Director of Corporate Communications Heather Handyside, the influx of hundreds of fishermen into Dillingham for fishing season has slowed down data speed.  

“In the near-term, to alleviate the traffic that is slowing everyone’s data speeds, we’re sending a crew out in the next couple of days to realign the antennas on our towers," she said. "When we realign the antennas it allows us to distribute the traffic a little more evenly, and that is going to result in speeded-up data service for everyone.”   

Dillingham experiences an increase in data traffic every year, and Handyside said that GCI is investing in a more permanent solution to Dillingham’s annual data fluctuations.

“We have been planning to install new equipment called “radios” on our towers. We’ll get that installed, we’re hoping in mid-July, which is just going to greatly increase the network’s capacity overall in the area more permanently.”

GCI had planned to complete those installations before fishing season but were held up by delays in manufacturing. They expect to begin installing the new equipment by late July.

Contact the author at isabelle@kdlg.org or 907-842-5281.

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Izzy Ross is the news director at KDLG, the NPR member station in Dillingham. She reports, edits, and hosts stories from around the Bristol Bay region, and collaborates with other radio stations across the state.