Alaska United Southeast (AU-SE)

Overview

Alaska United Southeast (AU-SE) is a domestic submarine cable system operating entirely within the United States, serving the southeastern coast of Alaska. Spanning 626 kilometres, the cable connects seven coastal communities in the Alaska Panhandle region, providing submarine connectivity along one of the most geographically isolated stretches of the American coastline. The system is owned and operated by GCI Communication Corp, an Alaska-based telecommunications provider.

Route and Landings

All seven landing points are located in southeastern Alaska, United States. The cable reaches the communities of Angoon, Hawk Inlet, Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Wrangell — a chain of coastal and island communities spread along the Alaska Panhandle. These communities are largely inaccessible by road, making submarine cable infrastructure the practical means of delivering terrestrial-quality connectivity to the region.

Ownership and Operators

AU-SE is wholly owned by GCI Communication Corp. GCI is Alaska's largest telecommunications provider and has historically invested in submarine cable infrastructure to extend broadband and voice services to the state's remote and coastal communities.

Technical Profile

The cable system runs approximately 626 kilometres in total length, consistent with the distances involved in linking the spread-out communities of southeastern Alaska's island and fjord geography.

Status and Timeline

AU-SE entered service in 2008 and currently connects its seven Alaskan landing communities. The cable serves an ongoing role in the region's telecommunications infrastructure.

Regional Context

Within the broader landscape of submarine cables landing in the United States, AU-SE occupies a distinctly different scale and purpose compared to the long-haul international systems that also serve American shores. Cables such as the Southern Cross Cable Network, GlobeNet, and the Asia-America Gateway Cable System span tens of thousands of kilometres and connect the United States to other continents. Project Waterworth and Bulikula represent further examples of intercontinental ambition in the same national landing environment. AU-SE, at 626 kilometres, is not positioned as a transoceanic link; instead, it addresses intra-state connectivity along a coastline where overland infrastructure is largely absent.

Strategic Role

AU-SE enables direct submarine connectivity among seven communities in the Alaska Panhandle — Angoon, Hawk Inlet, Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Wrangell — that would otherwise depend on far more limited or indirect means of communication. By threading together these geographically dispersed communities along a single 626-kilometre cable, AU-SE supports the communications needs of a region defined by its islands, inlets, and absence of road connections. GCI's ownership consolidates the system under a single operator with a longstanding presence in Alaskan telecommunications infrastructure.