ACS Launches Commercial Traffic on AKORN, Brings Competition and Route Diversity to Alaska

Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (ACS) (NASDAQ:ALSK), announces the launch of commercial traffic on AKORN, or the Alaska-Oregon Network submarine cable, built by ACS to provide diverse connectivity between Alaska and national/global networks. ACS is turning up IP, data and voice communications traffic on this cable system and its customers will see immediate benefits, including additional capacity and greater physical diversity.

“AKORN brings competition, route diversity and massive capacity to Alaska,” said Anand Vadapalli, ACS Executive Vice President, Technology & Operations. “AKORN is the only fiber optic cable that connects Alaska to the world along a geographically diverse route for greater security and reliability. Previously, Alaska’s businesses sent all their traffic through cables that run in close proximity to each other, making them highly susceptible to disaster. AKORN brings greater reliability and security to military, government, business and carrier customers.”

AKORN’s four fiber pairs and advanced electronics more than triple Alaska’s existing interstate bandwidth capacity. AKORN exits Anchorage, AK from a unique spot, travels to Nikiski and then overland to Homer before going under the ocean to Florence, Oregon. The landing site in Florence, OR is built and maintained by ACS and has capacity for additional undersea cables.

The high-speed, high-performance cable will be continuously monitored and managed by ACS’ dual Network Operations Control Centers in Alaska and the Lower 48, a security feature that no other telecom carrier in Alaska provides.

In addition to the geographical diversity and increased capacity, AKORN complements ACS’ Northstar cable system between Anchorage and Nedonna Beach, OR which has recently been upgraded to OC-192 increments. Both cables travel from their separate landing sites to network peering points in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA over diverse paths. Together, they create a fiber ring providing alternate routes in the event of a network disruption, with the ability to reroute traffic in less than 50 milliseconds.

AKORN and Northstar are integrated with the only statewide MPLS network, connecting cities across Alaska, including dual fiber routes between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska’s major economic corridor. “AKORN represents ACS’ single largest project in its history, but its value is enhanced because it leverages all of our network assets. Our state-wide, and now interstate, diversity is part of our portfolio of services designed to ensure business continuity for Alaska businesses, including remote data hosting in our carrier-grade facility in Hillsboro, OR,” Vadapalli said. “Our statewide IP-based network, combined with the AKORN and Northstar cable systems gives ACS’ customers capacity and reliability unmatched by any other Alaska carrier.”

To learn more, watch a video about the AKORN project at www.alsk.com.

About Alaska Communications Systems

Headquartered in Anchorage, ACS is Alaska's leading provider of broadband and other wireline and wireless solutions to Enterprise and mass market customers. The ACS wireline operations include the state's most advanced data networks and the only diverse undersea fiber optic system connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States. The ACS wireless operations includes statewide 3G CDMA network, reaching across Alaska from the North Slope to Ketchikan, with coverage extended via best-in-class CDMA carriers in the Lower 49 and Canada. By investing in the fastest-growing market segments and attracting the highest-quality customers, ACS seeks to drive top- and bottom-line growth, while continually improving customer experience and cost structure through process improvement. More information can be found on the company's website at www.acsalaska.com or at its investor site at www.alsk.com.