Two Day Conference Planned To Explore Critical Need Of High-Speed Internet Across The Arctic

Top of the World Arctic Broadband Summit scheduled for mid-July in Barrow

BARROW, Alaska, June 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tech industry experts, policy leaders and pan-Arctic residents will assemble in Barrow, Alaska in mid-July to discuss the critical need for high-speed broadband across the circumpolar Arctic. The Top of the World Arctic Broadband Summit will be held in Barrow, Alaska July 13-14 and feature presentations ranging from the challenges to bringing high-speed internet to the Arctic – to the government's role in broadband development and expansion. The summit is being organized by the Arctic Economic Council and its telecommunications working group.  The event is also co-hosted by the Iñuit Arctic Business Alliance (IABA) and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC). 

"The theme of the conference is "Making the Connection", and for good reason," said Tara Sweeney, who serves as chair of the Arctic Economic Council as well as executive vice president of external affairs for ASRC. "In the 21st century you need to be connected to be successful; in the most remote parts of the world, this need only multiplies. The introduction of high-speed broadband across the North Slope and other parts of the Arctic will open the door to opportunities – including education, government services, and the day to day quality of life. If we don't make this connection with the rest of the world, our region is stuck in the past. Fortunately, with broadband, we have the opportunity to help ourselves."

For more information on the conference, please log on to www.arcticeconomiccouncil.com. For members of the media interested in covering the event, please contact Marie Duriez at [email protected] or (907) 339-6889 for travel information.

About Arctic Economic Council (AEC)

Established by the Arctic Council under the chairmanship of Canada, the AEC is an independent business forum established to facilitate Arctic business-to-business activities, promote responsible economic development and provide a circumpolar business perspective to the work of the Arctic Council. The inaugural meeting was held in September 2014 in Iqaluit, Nunavut Canada. The AEC has a 42-member board from eight Arctic states and six permanent participant organizations. Finland will assume the chairmanship from the U.S. in 2017.

About Iñuit Arctic Business Alliance (IABA)

IABA comprises representatives of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), NANA Regional Corporation (NANA) and Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC). Its mission is to provide a unified voice, collective vision, guidelines and venue for doing business in the Arctic. The three corporate members of IABA were established as part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971. Together, they own a total of 9.3 million acres of Arctic surface and subsurface real estate and represent more than 31,900 shareholders.

About Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC)

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation is owned by and represents the business interests of the Arctic Slope Iñupiat. Since opening enrollment in 1990 to Alaska Natives born after 1971, the corporation's shareholder base has nearly tripled, growing from the 3,700 original enrollees to around 13,000 today. Corporate headquarters are based in Barrow, Alaska, with administrative and subsidiary offices located in Anchorage and throughout the United States. ASRC, along with its family of companies, is the largest Alaskan-owned company, employing approximately 10,000 people worldwide. The company has six major business segments: petroleum refining and marketing, energy support services, construction, industrial services, government services and resource development.

CONTACT:
Ty Hardt, ASRC
Sr. Director of
Communications
Desk   (907) 339-6888
Mobile (907) 223-3253
[email protected]

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SOURCE Arctic Economic Council