美国国家公共电台 NPR--In rural Alaska, federal money aims to transform internet access

In rural Alaska, federal money aims to transform internet access

Transcript¹

In some remote parts of the state, Internet is almost twice as expensive and nearly 200 times slower than in cities. New projects headed to predominantly Alaska Native communities aim to fix that.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

In many parts of rural Alaska, the internet is slow, and it is expensive. But hundreds of miles of new fiber² optic cable are on the way. Federal money is bringing broadband to remote Alaska Native communities. NPR's Nina Kravinsky reports from the western Alaska town of Bethel.

NINA KRAVINSKY, BYLINE³: The city of 6,000 is about 400 miles off the road system, so there aren't a lot of options for shoppers.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Cash only.

KRAVINSKY: On a recent weekend, an internet outage forced the grocery store to only accept cash for a couple of days. Without a way to use her debit⁴ card, Balassa Larson couldn't pay for some of her food.

BALASSA LARSON: Maybe I'll go on a diet (laughter).

KRAVINSKY: Internet outages are fairly common in this part of rural Alaska, which uses radio waves to get internet to customers. But Bethel Native Corporation President Ana Hoffman says a better way is coming.

ANA HOFFMAN: This is going to be a transformational change.

KRAVINSKY: The Native Corporation is taking on a fiber optic cable project that will bring high-speed internet to several remote Alaska communities. Funding comes from $1,000,000,000 the federal government set aside for tribal⁵ broadband programs across the country.

HOFFMAN: This is the way of the future, is having good connectivity. And so we will just be in line to participate.

KRAVINSKY: Hoffman says the project will bring internet to Bethel through a company called GCI, currently the only internet provider in the area. Right now, GCI's customers in Bethel pay about $300 a month for much slower service than customers in urban areas. GCI spokesperson Heather Handyside says that's about to change.

HEATHER HANDYSIDE: So 200 times faster and more than $100 cheaper. The cost of the plans may slightly change over the years, but it will be exactly what we have in Anchorage.

KRAVINSKY: GCI is betting on fiber optic as the future of internet in rural Alaska, even as low-orbit satellite services like Starlink continue to ramp⁶ up. GCI sees fiber as more reliable than satellites.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLANE FLYING)

KRAVINSKY: Not far from Bethel is Napaskiak, a village of around 400. It's only accessible by plane this time of year. Leaders expect the fiber optic cable will reach them by 2025. Napaskiak tribal administrator⁷ Sharon Williams says it can't come soon enough.

SHARON WILLIAMS: We never had that fast internet. Some of us - like, we go to Anchorage. We get to see how fast it is. As a community, I don't know. I can't imagine how it will be for us.

KRAVINSKY: But Williams does know faster internet will make it possible to apply for more grants to improve public health and safety, and her staff will miss fewer online trainings.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Here, take one for Calvin (ph) so he can airraq.

KRAVINSKY: Back in Bethel, Native Corporation President Ana Hoffman is teaching a group of kids a game similar to cat's cradle. They're knitting a knotted piece of yarn⁸ between their fingers to make shapes. A broom or a bird are common ones.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Boom. You did it.

KRAVINSKY: The Yup'ik word for this game is airraq. It's also called a story string, and Hoffman chose it as a name for the project.

HOFFMAN: We have such a rich life. We have so much cultural knowledge and expression. We're going to have the ability to share the beauty of our culture with the rest of the world.

KRAVINSKY: The game's been passed down in Yup'ik families for generations, and a story string is a fitting name for a cable that Hoffman hopes will bring in stories from the world and bring Yup'ik stories to the world.

Nina Kravinsky, NPR News, Bethel, Alaska.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 debit   

n.借方，借项，记人借方的款项

参考例句：

• To whom shall I debit this sum?此款应记入谁的账户的借方？
• We undercharge Mr.Smith and have to send him a debit note for the extra amount.我们少收了史密斯先生的钱，只得给他寄去一张借条所要欠款。

5 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

6 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

7 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

8 yarn   

n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事

参考例句：

• I stopped to have a yarn with him.我停下来跟他聊天。
• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。