Alaska Enacts HB 195 Establishing Expedited State Right-of-Way Permitting for Arctic Broadband

JUNEAU, AK — Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy signed into law House Bill 195, establishing an expedited 30-day state right-of-way review process within the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) for rural fiber-optic and broadband telecommunications infrastructure.

Bridging the Arctic Digital Divide for Remote Communities

The enacted statute removes multi-month bureaucratic review backlogs along the Parks, Richardson, and Glenn Highway corridors, enabling telecommunications providers to lay 1,200 miles of buried and aerial high-speed fiber cables to connect 45 remote Alaska Native villages and rural clinics. The law establishes standard dig-once protocols, requiring fiber conduit installation during all state-funded highway resurfacing projects.

Governor Dunleavy and bill sponsors affirmed that high-speed internet connectivity is essential to deliver modern telehealth, distance education, and economic opportunities across Alaska's vast rural geography.

Alaska Native Regional Corporations Endorsements

Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) leaders strongly endorsed the legislation, highlighting that reliable broadband allows rural village health aides to consult with specialized physicians in Anchorage.

Telecommunications cooperatives praised the standard right-of-way fee schedules for lowering capital deployment costs.

Effective Date

House Bill 195 takes statutory effect across Alaska on October 1, 2026.