Fiber Optic Coming to Tok?

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A little birdie told me a few months back that Tok would be getting fiber optic as early as the Fall. Well, now rumor has it that it may be much sooner – like sometime in the next few months!

Anyone who has been following my quest for high speed – and affordable – Internet in rural Alaska knows that “high speed” and “affordable Internet” are not usually used around these parts. I’m currently paying close to $200 for my monthly Internet access, 512k up and down, 10Gig bandwidth allowance, $30 each Gig over. (Waiting for your eyes to pop open and jaw to drop. There it goes.)

I got a peek at some numbers for the new service that will bring Tok onto the Information Superhighway instead of the rural side road and my own eyes popped open and jaw dropped. For the same connection speed, the Gig bandwidth allowance is doubled and the price is about one-fourth of what I pay now! Heck, I could afford the truly high speed connection at those rates.

Oh, My Aching Gigabytes

In only 6 days I’m already at nearly 3 Gigs into my bandwidth allowance.

At $30 per gig over my 10 Gig limit, I’m already seeing that I will have to change my evil bandwidth hogging ways if I’m going to keep my Internet access bill under control.

Any tips? Advice? Can I get someone’s unused bandwidth allowances like carbon offsets?

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