Prysmian to Bring Broadband to Remote Parts of Alaska with Nearly $20 Million Submarine Cables Production and Installation Contract

Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, has been awarded a contract by Alaska Power & Telephone Company (AP&T) to supply, install and test two submarine fiber optic cable links in southeast Alaska. The SEALink project undertaken by AP&T’s subsidiary AP&T Wireless (APTW) will improve communications in southeast Alaska, bringing broadband to rural areas that are currently unserved.

The SEALink project will create a 214-mile submarine fiber optic cable from Alaska’s capital of Juneau to Prince of Wales Island. By bringing high-speed broadband to the residents of Kasaan and Coff­man Cove on Prince of Wales Island for the first time, AP&T and Prysmian Group are helping the local community bridge the digital divide. The project received a grant the U.S. government’s Rural Utility Services. Residents in this remote area will benefit from broadband connections to support telemedicine, distance learning, remote working, ecommerce, tourism marketing, and sharing cultural resources and knowledge.

“Prysmian Group is the enabler of the energy transition and digital transformation taking place around the globe. We are accelerating digitalization in voice, video and data transmission, making the connected future possible for millions of people in places like Prince of Wales Island,” said Andrea Pirondini, Prysmian Group North America Chief Executive Officer. “Prysmian plays a leading role in the digitalization of North America by supporting the development of 5G in the U.S. and Canada, as well as assisting in greater access to broadband services in rural areas.”

Prysmian Group’s turnkey contract will provide a 323-km MINISUB brand cable with 36 G.652.D FO. The cable will be produced at Prysmian’s Nordenham, Germany plant, one of the group’s three centers of excellence for submarine cables production. Delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2022, with provisional acceptance by the end of 2022. The turnkey project will be managed by Prysmian’s experienced world-renowned Projects Business Unit.

“This is the second project with AP&T after the successful installation of the Lynn Channel Project in 2016,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects Business Unit, Prysmian Group. “We are excited to be helping AP&T support the digital transition in these remote areas of Alaska.”

“We are honored to be entrusted with this prestigious contract by AP&T which underscores the trust and credibility our customers have on our products and capabilities on the worldwide basis,” said Ashutosh Bhargava, Global Business director Subsea Telecom of the Prysmian Group.

Prysmian Group has 23 plants and six research and development facilities in North America with 5,800 employees. It recently announced it was investing $200 million to build a new submarine power cable plant at Brayton Point, MA. Prysmian Group’s cutting-edge cable-laying vessel, the Leonardo Da Vinci, is an example of the innovative thinking and technological leadership the company brings to solving energy and telecommunications challenges. The company has recently announced more than $385 million in investments to upgrade and expand production capacity in North America.