Partnership with national carrier excites MTA

By ANDREW WELLNER

Frontiersman.com

MAT-SU — In a partnership announced Tuesday, Matanuska Telephone Association plans to speed up its 4G data rollout with help from Verizon.

In the cellphone world, 4G refers to data speeds. Most networks in the state run on the slower 3G network. MTA marketing director Carolyn Hanson said a lot has changed in recent years in the cellphone market. People expect to use their phones for a lot of things unheard of just a few years ago.

She said a 4G network will allow customers to download movies in minutes and photos in seconds.

On Tuesday, MTA announced it’s partnering with Verizon Wireless. Verizon will lease MTA a portion of its spectrum — the airwaves used to transmit everything from radio signals to cell phone calls ¬— which MTA will then use to broadcast its 4G network.

“Essentially, it positions us very well and will give us the ability to accelerate our 4G deployment by leveraging and partnering with someone like Verizon,” Hanson said.

She said MTA doesn’t yet have a timeline for when it plans to have 4G available.

The spectrum MTA plans to rent covers 34,000 square miles and will also allow it to expand service north from where it currently stops just south of Cantwell. She said MTA is excited about working with Verizon.

“Much like MTA, they tout their network so we’re really excited to be one of their first Alaskan rural partners,” she said.

Verizon, one of the biggest players in the mobile telephony market in the U.S., announced about a year ago its plans to enter Alaska.

The company is currently undertaking what it calls long-term evolution, or LTE, services to rural communities.

This partnership is part of that. When Verizon comes to Alaska, its customers will be able to use MTA’s network, but this isn’t a merger.

“We’ll be competing directly with them. We’ll have our own brand as we do today,” Hanson said.

But they’ll be competing while also partnering in other ways. An MTA press release notes that MTA customers who travel out of state will be able to use Verizon’s network. Hanson added that the relationship with Verizon will make it easier for MTA to negotiate with cellphone manufacturers.

“We’ll be able to work directly with Verizon vendors on the handsets so we’ll be able to bring handsets faster to markets,” she said.

That has been kind of a problem at MTA, which usually has a lag between the rollout of a new phone and its introduction to MTA customers.

“As soon as the latest, greatest thing comes out, your customers want it and it’s frustrating not to be able to provide it to them so timely,” Hanson said.

Mostly, though, when she talks about handsets in the 4G world, she’s referring to Android phones. MTA has no plans on the horizon to introduce the popular Apple iPhone, which is supported on the Verizon network.

The faster 4G speeds aren’t new to Alaska. Anchorage carriers offer them. AT&T’s online “coverage viewer” map paints the Valley a deep blue, indicating 4G availability.

Customers at GCI have been told to expect 4G service at the start of next month.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.