TelAlaska

Alaska Rural Telecom Pioneer Dies

TelAlaska president and CEO Jack H Rhyner, 55, died April 19 at home after a six month battle with cancer. TelAlaska is the parent company of Interior and Mukluk local telephone companies and Eyecom Cable and NetWorks advanced data service companies. The company is the local telephone provider in Brevig Mission, Cold Bay, Cooper Landing, Council, Elim, Fort Yukon, Galena, Golovin, Iliamna/Newhalen, King Cove, Koyuk, Little Diomede, Moose Pass, Nome, Port Lions, Sand Point, Seward, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, Stebbins, St. Michael, Teller, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, White Mountain, and Wales.

The company was founded by Jack’s father, the late Richard Rhyner, in 1968, and Jack began his telephony career working at his father’s side.

At age 16, Jack painstakingly refurbished damaged telephone equipment salvaged after the 1967 Fairbanks flood. He cleaned the equipment in the basement of the family home with high-pressure water hoses and brushes, using Emory boards to smooth gold points on the mechanical switches. Once the equipment was fully operable, father and son installed a telephone system in Fort Yukon where residents until then shared a single phone line at the airport. Today, more than 300 Fort Yukon residents have single-party lines and access to Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Internet service.

Jack assumed the leadership of Interior Telephone in 1982 and in subsequent years operated TelAlaska companies in partnership with his wife Donna, TelAlaska’s Chief Information Officer and board secretary.

Jack Rhyner played an active role in the telecommunications industry, testifying on federal and state issues. He was a member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Task Force on telephone regulatory issues and at the time of his death was serving his second term as president of the Alaska Telephone Association, where he had for years also led the Government Affairs committee. He received ATA's coveted Kaguyak Award for outstanding contributions to the advancement of Alaska Telephony.

As a member of the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA), Jack served as chairman of the WTA Public Policy Committee since its inception. He received the organization’s President’s Award in 2007 for “tireless dedication to the association and rural telecommunications.”

Jack also served on the Board of Directors of the Alaska Exchange Carriers Association (AECA) and chaired the AECA Rate Development Committee.

A member of the National Rifle Association and an avid sportsman, his shooting team prevailed as champions for more than a dozen years of Spring League competitions at Birchwood Shooting Park.

Jack leaves his wife Donna, sons Ryan of Anchorage and Richard Rhyner II and daughter-in-law Andrea Rhyner and grandchildren Victoria, Christian, all of Fairbanks, and a sister Kym Morgan of Mount Shasta,CA, and aunts Faye Brown of Grafton, WI, and Kathy McGrath of Wilkesboro, PA, formerly of Anchorage. He is preceded in death by his father Richard; mother Anita Rhyner, nee Hamblin, and brother Gilbert Rhyner.

A celebration of Jack’s life will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 1 at the Quarter Deck of the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. According to his wishes, his ashes will be spread at a favorite Cold Bay duck hunting retreat in the fall.

The family suggests memorial donations to the Cold Bay Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. The address is Cold Bay Ducks Unlimited, c/o Lillian Sager, P.O. Box 131, Cold Bay, Alaska 99571.

TelAlaska Announces Winner of Phone Book Cover Photo Contest

Nadja Roessek of Homer won the 2008 TelAlaska Phone Book Cover Photo Contest. Roessek’s photo of Exit Glacier taken on the Kenai Peninsula will appear on the cover of the 2008 Nome/Seward/Unalaska Area Telephone Directory. Roessek will receive $250 in prize money.

Roessek is a Web and graphic designer, and lives in Homer, Alaska.

TelAlaska’s annual photo contest is open to everyone and is judged by a panel of TelAlaska employees. The only requirement is that the photos are taken in the areas served by the telephone directory. The Directory is produced for residents in areas served by TelAlaska’s Interior and Mukluk Telephone Companies and OTZ Telephone Cooperative. It also includes listings for 34 Alaska Communications Systems rural communities.

TelAlaska Names Bill Thompson Nome Area Supervisor
TelAlaska President and CEO Jack Rhyner announces the appointment of William “Bill” Thompson as supervisor of the company’s Nome area operations. Thompson, who will reside in Nome, also will oversee the company’s telecommunications activities in Nome, Koyuk, Council, Elim, Shishmaref, Wales, Little Diomede, Teller, Brevig Mission, White Mountain, Golovin, Shaktoolik, Stebbins, and St. Michael.

Thompson previously served as Field Services Manager for Time O Matic, an electronic message center company in Danville, IL where he managed a nine-member crew, utilized Wi-Fi, radio frequency (RF), fiber and cellular modem communications and authored OSHA-related safety policies and procedures. His prior experience also includes repairing, maintaining and operating a satellite system for Raytheon Polar Services in the South Pole; serving as a Field Service Engineer for Alcatel, and an assignment as Electronic Designer for Hobbico.

Thompson replaces Andrew Hennings who transferred to TelAlaska’s Anchorage headquarters. TelAlaska is a telecommunications solutions company serving 25 rural communities and providing advanced network solutions in urban markets. TelAlaska was founded by the Rhyner family in Fort Yukon in 1968.

October 5, 2007: Jack Rhyner Receives WTA President’s Award
Jack Rhyner, president and CEO of TelAlaska, was awarded the
Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) President’s award at the
organization’s recent annual meeting in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. It is only the
second time in WTA history that a member has been so recognized.
WTA president Rob Stephens said, “Jack has been committed to
ensuring that consumers living in rural and high cost areas of the country have
access to telecommunications services at levels comparable to those of
consumers living in urban areas. His tireless efforts have not gone
unnoticed…” The award was formal recognition of Rhyner’s extraordinary
commitment, leadership, and dedication to WTA, the telecommunications
industry, and consumers.

WTA represents more than 250 rural telephone companies in 24 states
west of the Mississippi River.

TelAlaska is a telecommunications solutions company serving 25 rural
communities and providing advanced network solutions in urban markets.
TelAlaska was founded by the Rhyner family in Fort Yukon in 1968.

July 18, 2007: American Broadband to Acquire TelAlaska, Inc.

American Broadband Communications LLC (ABB) is acquiring TelAlaska, Inc., a privately held Alaska telecommunications company serving some of the most remote and geographically diverse communities in Alaska.

It is the third largest independent telephone company in the state, employing approximately 100 people full-time. Currently the company has 70 employees in Anchorage, six in Nome, nine in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, and eight in Seward. TelAlaska also has 18 agents assigned throughout the 24 rural areas it serves.

Jack Rhyner, President and CEO of the company founded by the Rhyner family in 1968, made the joint announcement in a press release today with Patrick Eudy, President and CEO of American Broadband. American Broadband is headquartered in Charlotte, NC.

“We are very pleased to welcome TelAlaska into the ABB family,” Eudy said. “TelAlaska’s motto, ‘Of Course You Can,’ speaks to the dedication of the employees to ensure residents of rural Alaska have access to high quality voice, data and video services. As I toured the company, I was amazed by the obstacles the TelAlaska team tackles to do their jobs on a daily basis. This company is a shining example of the power of teamwork, commitment to customers, and the critical role of our nation’s telecommunications policies in ensuring every citizen has access to high quality, affordable communications services for their health, social and business needs.”

Rhyner, who is a national authority on telecommunications regulation and a leader among independent local companies in Alaska, said the appeal of the transaction is compelling. TelAlaska had its best year ever in 2006 and now has operational talent in place to continue its traditions of excellence and innovation.

“I am leaving the organization in a position of strength at a time when market and regulatory challenges require the strength of a larger organization. After some 40 years, it is personally time for a change. I am looking forward to stepping back from day to day operations,” Rhyner said.

TelAlaska will operate as an independent subsidiary of ABB. Jack Rhyner will assume a new role as a management consultant on regulatory and public policy issues. His wife and business partner Donna Rhyner will leave the company to pursue other interests.

The companies expect no other changes in management or operations. The transaction is a stock purchase, with American Broadband purchasing 100 percent of TelAlaska, Inc. stock for an undisclosed amount. The transaction is subject to approvals by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and the Federal Communications Commission. Both companies are privately held.

About American Broadband Communications, LLC
American Broadband is growing through strategic investments in rural communications companies in ways that invigorate both the companies and the areas they serve. As part of the American Broadband family, our operating telcos partner in the growth and economic vitality of their communities by providing broadband and other advanced services by contributing to and supporting new business activity and job growth. American Broadband retains local management and staff to ensure continued superior levels of service to our customers. For more information, visit www.americanbb.com.

About TelAlaska
TelAlaska is a statewide, full-service telecommunications provider whose roots were established in rural Alaska nearly 40 years ago. The company provides local and long distance telephone service; advanced data services; dial-up, DSL, and cable modem Internet service; cable television; and wireless Internet services. Headquartered in Anchorage, TelAlaska companies also have customer service and operations sites in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Seward, and Nome and agents in more than a dozen other rural communities. For more information, visit www.telalaska.com.

TelAlaska to Offer DSL Internet Service September 7 in Nome

High-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) service, an alternative to Nome’s cable modem service, will be available here beginning September 7, according to TelAlaska president and CEO Jack Rhyner. Rhyner met with Nome customers in June and said his company is responding to their requests for more choice in both Internet technology and quality of service.

“I believe we can’t help but improve their Internet experience, simple because of how we operate and manage our networks,” Rhyner said. “We have been providing communications technology to rural Alaska for almost 40 years. I believe no company does it better or with our level of commitment or concern for the customer.”

TelAlaska owns Mukluk Telephone Company, which provides Nome’s local telephone service. The company also provides Internet service in more than a half dozen Alaska communities, cable modem high-speed Internet in Dutch Harbor, and DSL high-speed Internet in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley, Girdwood, Seward, Moose Pass, Sand Point, Cold Bay, and King Cove.

The company will offer two types of DSL service in Nome, basic and managed. Basic service ranges in price from a Light $19.95 option for the occasional user, to Business Right, a higher-speed package at $89.95 per month. Managed service, intended mostly for business users, is priced from $187 per month for 128K to $540 per month for 512K.

DSL service is always-on, which means customers don’t need to dial in and wait to retrieve e-mails and surf the web.

Information is available by phone at 443-5466 or at TelAlaska offices in the Old Federal Building on Front Street.

TelAlaska’s NetWorks division has provided advanced data services throughout Alaska since 1998. TelAlaska was founded by the Rhyner family in 1968. The company purchased the Nome telephone company in 2000 and has been upgrading the network to prepare for advanced service offerings, Rhyner said.

February 16, 2006: TelAlaska’s Unalaska Staff Achieves AKOSH Safety Program Recognition

Grey Mitchell, Director of the State of Alaska’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development, will be in Unalaska on Thursday, February 23 to present TelAlaska’s Unalaska staff of nine with a certificate honoring their achievement of Star status in the Alaska Occupational Safety and Health (AKOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). The presentation will take place at 11 a.m. at TelAlaska’s office at 599 East Broadway.

TelAlaska was awarded VPP’s Star status for implementing an exemplary system to manage safety and health for employees in its Unalaska/Dutch Harbor area operations. Star status recognizes companies that have gone beyond basic compliance with AKOSH standards.

TelAlaska’s Unalaska office has held VPP’s Merit status since 2003, when it was the first telecommunications group in America to be awarded the designation. Since then, the company’s Seward and Nome offices have also achieved Merit status. TelAlaska offices now make up three of the nine VPP locations in Alaska.

Once VPP status is achieved, the designated company unit is exempt from some targeted industry inspections, allowing AKOSH inspectors to focus resources on areas more in need of attention. AKOSH credits the program with helping companies achieve a 50 percent decrease in workplace injuries TelAlaska, established in 1968, provides local telephone service to 25 rural communities and advanced telecommunications statewide to schools, libraries, health clinics and other businesses and institutions. Headquartered in Anchorage, the company also has area offices in Unalaska, Seward, and Nome, and agents in more than a half-dozen other rural communities.

November 4, 2005: TelAlaska’s Eyecom Introduces Digital Television Service to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor

Digital cable television is coming to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor in November, according to Dave Goggins of Anchorage, Chief Operating Officer of TelAlaska.

TelAlaska’s subsidiary Eyecom Cable will launch digital cable television service on Monday, November 7 with such new offerings as 17 pay-per-view movie and event channels, nearly 50 commercial-free music channels and several channels of HBO and Cinemax. Unalaska is the first Eyecom service area to receive digital television service, Goggins said.

In addition to the availability of new programming, Eyecom’s digital service will allow users to search for shows based on category, channel and/or time. The service will also identify the current program when the viewer switches to a new channel. Pay-per-view programming can be ordered directly off the screen using the customer’s remote control and selections will be automatically billed to their Eyecom account.

“Residents of Unalaska will now enjoy an abundance of new entertainment options as well as the convenience of these user-friendly on-screen functions,” Goggins said.

Eyecom’s digital television service requires subscription to Eyecom’s basic service, which provides 43 channels to all cable-ready television sets at the customer location.

Digital converter boxes to enable a television set to receive all the benefits of the new service are an additional $8.95 per television set.

There is no set-up fee or installation cost for upgrading to digital service and non-subscribers will be eligible for discounted installation between Nov. 7th and the end of 2005. The cost of installation for non-subscribers is $10. Subscribers to Eyecom’s premium channels will receive seven channels of HBO and eight channels of Cinemax at no extra cost when they obtain digital service.

Eyecom’s digital offering also features parental locks, allowing the customer to block pay-per-view purchases, hide movie titles and prevent access to programming according to its rating.

Information on the pay-per-view channels, additional premium channels and music channels is available at www.telalaska.com/digitaltv or by visiting TelAlaska’s office at 599 E. Broadway. The local office number is 581-1399 and hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Wednesdays when hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Eyecom Cable, a subsidiary of TelAlaska, also provides cable television services to Galena, and Girdwood. TelAlaska, established in 1968, provides local telephone service to 25 rural communities and advanced telecommunications statewide. TelAlaska is headquartered in Anchorage and has area offices in Unalaska, Seward, and Nome, and agents in more than a half-dozen other rural communities.

September 29, 2005: TelAlaska’s Nome Office Achieves VPP Safety Status

TelAlaska, a statewide telecommunications company, recently achieved Merit status in Alaska’s Occupational Safety and Health (AKOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) for creating safer environments for employees in its Nome area operations.

Companies applying for Merit status must maintain hazard prevention and control initiatives as well as safety and health training for managers, supervisors and front line employees.

TelAlaska’s Unalaska area office was the first telecommunications group in America to be awarded the designation in 2003. The company’s Seward office achieved VPP status later that year.

Officials from the Alaska Department of Labor will visit Nome this fall to present the Merit VPP certificate to TelAlaska’s staff of eight in Nome. “Your designation as a VPP site is testament to the level of excellence you have achieved in your safety and health management system,” said Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Greg O’Claray.

TelAlaska, established in 1968, provides local telephone service to 25 rural communities and advanced telecommunications statewide to schools, libraries, health clinics and other businesses and institutions. Headquartered in Anchorage, the company also has area offices in Unalaska, Seward, and Nome, and agents in more than a half-dozen other rural communities.

April 6, 2005:TelAlaska Announces Winner of Phone Book Cover Photo Contest

Glen Gardner Jr. of Sand Point won the 2005 TelAlaska Phone Book Cover Photo Contest. Gardner’s photo of Russian Town in Sand Point will appear on the cover of the 2005 Northwest Central Alaska/Aleutians Telephone Directory. Gardner will receive $250 in prize money.

Gardner, a lifelong resident of Sand Point, spent 33 years as a commercial fisherman. He is a member of the boards of directors for Qagan Tayagungin Tribe of Sand Point Village, Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, and Shumagin Corporation. He is presently serving as the mayor of Sand Point.

TelAlaska’s annual photo contest is open to everyone. A panel of TelAlaska employees judged this year’s contest. The only requirement is that the photos are taken in the areas served by the telephone directory. The Directory is produced for residents in the areas served by TelAlaska’s Interior and Mukluk Telephone Companies and OTZ Telephone Cooperative.

March 14, 2005: Eyecom Improves Cable System to Bring Top Rated Cable Networks and Better Picture Quality to Unalaska

TelAlaska’s Eyecom Cable has made significant changes to their cable system in Unalaska to bring top rated cable networks and better picture quality to local cable television subscribers.

Eyecom engineers have been working for more than a year to find ways to improve program and picture quality on all channels in Unalaska and to bring digital pay-per-view to subscribers. Popular channels such as Nickelodeon and The Discovery Channel are once again available to Unalaska viewers. Other top rated networks such as The Learning Channel, Comedy Central, American Movie Classics and TV Land are available in Unalaska for the first time. Information on Unalaska’s new channel line-up is available at www.telalaska.com or by visiting Eyecom’s office at 599 E. Broadway.

“Our customers have been requesting the return of these networks as well as other popular programming we haven’t been able to offer. We’re very pleased to have a solution to the technical issues that have limited the programming we receive. We think our customers will be very happy with these changes.” said TelAlaska customer service manager, Kris Rider.

Monthly basic rates will be $52.95 beginning April 1, a $5 per month increase which covers direct costs of the new programming. The increase has been scheduled one month after the new programming commences to give customers four weeks to evaluate its value.

Eyecom plans to offer Unalaska customers digital service and pay-per-view programming before the end of the year. Pay-per-view will offer hit movies, sporting events, and other entertainment features, as well as multiple HBO and Cinemax options.

May 17, 2004: Aspen Hotels to Offer Guests Free Wireless High-Speed Internet Access
Aspen Hotels and Suites is installing wireless Internet technology provided by TelAlaska in all of its Alaska properties. The technology will allow Aspen guests to access the Internet wirelessly from anywhere on the hotel property, including each guest room. The service will be provided to guests free of charge.

“Today’s business and leisure travelers needs and expects easy, mobile access to the Internet and we are pleased to be the first in Alaska to provide Wi-Fi service,” said Carol Fraser, Aspen vice president. “Hotels across the United States are rapidly deploying the same type of service, making it a sought after amenity.”

To deploy this technology, TelAlaska uses Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) standard IEEE 802.11b panels that are capable of sending wireless Internet access signals up to seven miles. Access points were installed throughout the hotel to accentuate the signal and make it accessible in each room. Hotel guests will need a laptop or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with a wireless network card or with built-in Wi-Fi capability. Most newer laptops are Wi-Fi enabled; allowing for quick access to the Internet where wireless technology is available.

“Use of the service will be extremely convenient for Aspen guests. They simply click on their Internet browser and they are instantly connected to the Internet and able to send and receive e-mails. No additional wires or cables or log-in procedures are necessary,” according to TelAlaska director of Information Technology Tom Korte.
The service is now available in Aspen’s downtown Anchorage location, followed by Soldotna in June. The company’s Juneau, Fairbanks and Valdez properties will have the service by the end of summer and service for the newest property in midtown Anchorage will be available when it opens this summer. More information about Aspen Hotels is available at www.aspenhotelsak.com.

TelAlaska is an Anchorage-based advanced technology company that has been serving rural Alaska for more than 35 years. It provides local telephone service to 25 remote rural communities through its Mukluk and Interior Telephone Companies, and provides managed network services for businesses and institutions throughout the state through its NetWorks subsidiary. A member of the Wi-Fi Alliance, TelAlaska’s Anchorage Wi-Fi service was demonstrated at an industry trade show here last fall and has been beta tested throughout Anchorage. The company plans to have a complete Anchorage network in place by the end of 2004 and is installing service this month in Seward. For more information, visit TelAlaska at www.telalaska.com or www.akwifi.com.

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April 12, 2004: Unalaska Student Selected for National Telecommunications Scholarship

Rowena Lacson, a senior at Unalaska City High School was selected to receive a $500 academic scholarship from the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED). Lacson’s scholarship application was sponsored by TelAlaska, the local phone company serving Unalaska and 24 other rural towns and villages in Alaska. The award is given based on merit and demonstrated commitment to rural life.

The members of the 2004 Class of FRED Scholars were selected from close to 300 applications that were nominated by almost 90 companies. A volunteer selection committee selected this year’s 71 scholarship recipients. In order to be eligible, a student’s application had to include a letter of nomination from a company that is a member of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO), in this case TelAlaska.

FRED strives to promote education and development in rural areas and support the more than 1,000 small, independent telephone companies in the U.S. and Canada that are providing state-of-the-art telecommunications technologies and service to their customers.

“ Small telephone companies, like TelAlaska, are a valuable asset to their rural communities. Our goal is to work with TelAlaska to create educational opportunities for rural America’s best resource - its young people,” FRED President, Paul Downs said.

“ Rowena Lacson was selected from an outstanding group of young people to represent the best of rural America. It seems that each year the selection committee’s task gets more and more difficult,” stated Foundation Director, Melissa Korzuch. “This year, we awarded more than $63,000, total in scholarships, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the OPASTCO Member companies that support the scholarship program with their donations to the Foundation.”

FRED, a national charitable foundation located in Washington, DC, was founded in 1989 by OPASTCO. The FRED Scholarship Program is made possible through the generosity of small, independent telephone companies and their vendors that operate in rural areas across the United States and Canada. TelAlaska is both a member of OPASTCO and a supporter of FRED.

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February 25, 2004: TelAlaska Warns Customers of Telephone Scam

TelAlaska advises local telephone customers in Seward to be aware of a possible telephone scam. Several customers have called to report phone calls they’ve received from people claiming to be TelAlaska employees. The caller asks for personal information such as birth dates and social security numbers so customers can become eligible for a discount on their phone service. TelAlaska is not placing these calls and advises customers not to give out any personal information if they receive a call. Customers who receive these calls are asked to report it to TelAlaska at 1-800-478-3127 or by e-mail to custserv@telalaska.com. If a customer is ever suspicious of a call from TelAlaska, they are asked to call TelAlaska's office to confirm the legitimacy of the call.

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October 20, 2003: TelAlaska Seward Operations Achieve VPP Safety Status
TelAlaska, a statewide telecommunications company, recently achieved Merit status in the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) for creating safer environments for employees in its Seward area operations. Once VPP status is achieved, the designated company unit is exempt from routine safety inspections, allowing OSHA inspectors to focus resources on areas more in need of attention.

Alaska joined the 15-year old national program in 1997. VPP companies must comply and participate in a number of projects that improve the safety of workers. TelAlaska’s Unalaska/Dutch Harbor area office was the first telecommunications group in America to be awarded the designation, which it achieved last spring.

Officials from the Alaska Department of Labor will present the Merit VPP certificate to TelAlaska’s Seward staff of nine at a luncheon at noon October 23 at the Harbor Club. “Your designation as a VPP site is testament to the level of excellence you have achieved in your safety and health management system,” said Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Greg O’Claray.

Travis Stubblefield, TelAlaska’s area manager for Seward, will accept the award on behalf of the company. TelAlaska, established in 1968, provides local telephone service to 25 rural communities and advanced telecommunications statewide to schools, libraries, health clinics and other businesses and institutions. Headquartered in Anchorage, the company also has area offices in Unalaska, Seward and Nome, and agents in more than a half-dozen other rural communities.

October 13, 2003: TelAlaska’s Seward.Net Expands DSL Service Area
High-speed digital subscriber line Internet service (DSL) is now available in the Seward subdivisions of Forest Acres, Exit Glacier, Camelot, Salmon Creek Road and Questa Woods. The new service areas are in addition to the downtown core, where TelAlaska’s Seward.Net launched DSL in December of 2001. TelAlaska is offering a 30-day free trial of Seward.Net DSL in all areas where it is available.

DSL service is always-on, which means customers don’t need to dial in and wait to retrieve e-mails and surf the web. It’s nearly 40 times faster than dial-up, according to Seward area manager, Travis Stubblefield. He says customers don’t need a second line or cable subscription to use the service, which runs over the existing phone line. “You can talk on the phone and surf the web at the same time,” he said.

Seward.Net offers single and multi-user packages with speeds between 256 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps download and 64 to 384 Kbps upload. The single user packages are priced at $58 or $75 a month and includes free dial up service, which enables travelers to access their e-mail accounts when away from home. Multi user packages are $100 a month. No contracts are required and there is no installation fee for new DSL customers. Help desk support is offered 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week.

TelAlaska is an advanced technology company that has been serving rural Alaska for more than 30 years. It provides local telephone service to 25 remote rural communities through its Mukluk and Interior Telephone Companies, and provides managed network services for businesses and institutions throughout the state through its NetWorks subsidiary.

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April 16, 2003: TelAlaska First Telecom Company To Achieve VPP Safety Status

TelAlaska, a statewide telecommunications company, recently achieved Merit status in the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) for creating safer environments for employees in its Unalaska/Dutch Harbor area operations. Once VPP status is achieved, the designated company unit is exempt from routine safety inspections, allowing OSHA inspectors to focus resources on areas more in need of attention.

TelAlaska’s area office is the first telecommunications group in America to be awarded the designation, and one of five Alaska companies to earn VPP status. Alaska joined the 15-year old national program in 1997. VPP companies must comply and participate in a number of projects that improve the safety of workers.

Officials from the Alaska Department of Labor visited Unalaska to present the Merit VPP certificate to TelAlaska’s Unalaska staff of nine. “The management and employees of TelAlaska should take great pride in this significant accomplishment,” said Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Ed Flanagan. Roger Meeks, TelAlaska’s area manager for Unalaska, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

TelAlaska, established in 1968, provides local telephone service to 25 rural communities and advanced telecommunications statewide to schools, libraries, health clinics and other businesses and institutions. Headquartered in Anchorage, the company also has area offices in Unalaska, Seward, and Nome, and agents in more than a half-dozen other rural communities.

Read more about TelAlaska's achievements in worker safety.

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March 7, 2003: TelAlaska Receives Company of Year Recognition
Telecommunications company TelAlaska was among 20 American companies recognized by Pat Summerall Productions as Companies of the Year 2002 at a New York reception Feb. 13 co-hosted by Summerall and Forbes Magazine. The reception and ceremony were held in the Forbes Magazine Galleries. Steve Forbes, president and Editor in Chief, was guest speaker.

TelAlaska President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Rhyner accepted the award for the company founded by his parents Richard and Anita Rhyner more than 30 years ago. Jack, then 16 and working out of the family’s Anchorage home, helped refurbish telephone equipment salvaged from the ’67 Fairbanks flood. Once restored, the equipment provided telephone service to hundreds of homes and businesses in Fort Yukon, a remote rural village that previously shared a single telephone line.

TelAlaska is one of 128 companies selected by Summerall to appear in his syndicated Champions of Industry series on the Discovery Channel Network last year. The awards are for “businesses doing great work in their community and for their customers,” said Summerall spokesperson Paula Thomas. Summerall selects companies to appear in the Champions series based on information in a series of interviews and independent research.

The TelAlaska Champions of Industry segment appeared in December, 2002, and now can be seen in a streaming video format via a link on the TelAlaska website, www.telalaska.com. It also will be accessible through various columns, windows, banners and buttons that will rotate throughout www.Forbes.com for 24 hours starting at 6 a.m. Alaska time March 25, 2003.

TelAlaska provides local telephone service to 25 remote rural communities through its Mukluk and Interior Telephone Companies, and provides managed network services for businesses and institutions throughout the state through its NetWorks subsidiary. TelAlaska also offers cable television services in Girdwood, Galena, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, and Port Lions through Eyecom Cable.

TelAlaska’s headquarters is in Anchorage, where it also has a network co-location facility. The company provides telemedicine, voice over IP, Internet, video conferencing, and other advanced services to communities throughout the state. Area offices are located in Nome, Seward, and Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.

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November 5, 2002: AT&T ALASCOM AND TELALASKA PARTNER TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE RURAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE – New federal E-rate funding to blaze trail for district-wide teaching resource

Teachers from Southwest Alaska are transforming the way Alaska's students will learn in the classroom. TelAlaska is providing interactive video technology, while AT&T Alascom is providing the dedicated bandwidth the Aleutian East Borough School District (AEBSD) needs for a state-of-the-art interactive instructional video system.

Opening a whole new world of learning for AEBSD students, the interactive instructional video offers a district-wide teaching resource with advantages that include:
• Expanding and enhancing present curriculum by allowing schools to share resources;
• Enriching classroom experience through specialized classes; and
• Offering the possibilities of future telecasts of special events including school basketball competitions.

Area educators may be able to benefit by having the opportunity to participate in on-line school board meetings and assembly meetings through live broadcasts; staff development through district-wide training; and reducing or eliminating travel time for principal meetings and school board meetings.

"The interactive instructional video will provide a crucial tool for Aleutian East Borough teachers to learn more effective ways of instructing," said Wes Knapp, Aleutian East Borough superintendent. "It may be the most affordable way for school districts to overcome a long list of hurdles including shortages of time, staff, money and coordination."

Use of the interactive instructional video was provided in part through new federal E-rate funding as a way to share resources and better communicate internally.

"With new E-rate funding, schools will be able to adopt the technology. Several other school districts statewide have expressed interest," said Knapp. "This will improve education in rural Alaska."

The TelAlaska /AT&T Alascom partnership provides AEBSD the underlying advanced technology components to gather, transmit, manage, and secure voice, data and video communication via satellite. The hub, located at Sand Point, connects five additional schools in King Cove, Cold Bay, False Pass, Akutan and Nelson Lagoon.

TelAlaska is an advanced technology company that has been serving rural Alaska for more than 30 years. Its headquarters and Networks Operations Center are located in Anchorage. The company, which provides local service in 26 communities, also has full service offices in Dutch Harbor, Nome, and Seward, and agents in 12 remote rural areas.

AT&T Alascom has been serving Alaskans for over a century. As part of its comprehensive program to upgrade Alaska's communication infrastructure, the company has invested over $250 million dollars into the state, and has installed over 200 satellite earth stations throughout Alaska.

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July 19, 2002: TelAlaska Wins OPASTCO Awards

TelAlaska, a telecommunications solutions company serving 25 rural communities and providing advanced network solutions in urban Alaska, recently received national recognition for advertising materials. The company’s Lifeline print public service announcement was awarded a trophy in the 2002 Indy Awards Competition, and its video Lifeline PSA received a certificate of merit in the multimedia category.

TelAlaska’s Lifeline service delivers low-cost basic telephone service to low-income customers through a federally supported program. The Indy Awards is sponsored by the OPASTCO Roundtable magazine to honor communications excellence by independent telecommunications companies. Entries for the 2002 contest were accepted from independent telephone companies throughout the United States and Canada.

The awards were presented July 15 at a ceremony in San Francisco during the 39th Annual Summer Convention of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO).

OPASTCO is a Washington, DC based trade association that represents more than 500 small, independently owned, local telecommunications companies, serving primarily rural areas of the United States and Canada. OPASTCO membership includes both commercial companies and cooperatives, which range in size from fewer than 100 to 100,000 access lines and collectively serve more than 2 million customers. OPASTCO represents rural telecommunications interests before federal regulatory and legislative bodies and provides educational programs and publications.

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September 7, 2001: Mathe Named Chair of OPASTCO Technical Committee

Jim Mathe, TelAlaska’s telecom network manager, was named chair of the technical committee of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies’ (OPASTCO) at its July convention in Minneapolis.

The committee provides guidance in developing OPASTCO positions on such issues as new services and network technologies. Mathe joined TelAlaska’s Interior Telephone Company in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor in 1979, where he was assigned for 13 years. In 1992 he moved to Anchorage to oversee operations for all TelAlaska companies including Mukluk Telephone, Eyecom Cable and TelAlaska NetWorks. TelAlaska has been serving Alaska for more than 30 years, providing local telephone to 26 rural communities and complex commercial data services in both urban and rural Alaska.

OPASTCO represents more than 500 small, independently owned, local telecommunications companies serving primarily rural areas of the United States and Canada. It represents member interests before federal regulatory bodies and Congress, provides publications and holds two annual conventions to address member issues.

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