Recently announced, ACS is apparently investing in a large “pipe” to Oregon to expand its connectivity capacity. Using the acronym AKORN to describe the Alaska-Oregon network connection leaves me wondering if ACS really has or is nuts?

On the surface, this sounds like a pretty exciting project that could boost Alaska’s connection between the Lower 48 and the rest of the world. The first question that comes to my mind is who is picking up the $175 million tab for this expansion? I don’t see any of the telecoms in Alaska currently duking it out to lower their prices and increase performance…so I have to wonder, who will benefit from this investment?

The obvious answer is that ACS is hoping to resell and market this new pipe to corporations and large businesses. In that case *yawn* it really isn’t all that exciting news. Don’t get me wrong, I think more connections are great - I’d just like to see ANY company take 5 seconds to consider the retail market for connectivity.

So hooray for big businesses and yawn for the average citizen. ACS has nuts and can lay pipe from here to Oregon - whoopee!

You can read the AP wire release here at the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer.

Image by: Clive Arundell