Alaskan Telecom’s Enterprise License Agreement Ensures Flexible Access to GIS Technology

When a broadband network stretches across a 10,000-square-mile area that includes the rugged, rural terrain of Alaska, it can be a challenge to manage. Expanding that network further requires quickly burying as much cable as possible during warmer construction months, saving harsh winters for making connections.

Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA), a major telecommunications provider which offers broadband, television, and phone services across southcentral Alaska, an area roughly the size of the state of Maryland, has been investing heavily in ensuring its customers have access to high-speed internet now and well into the future by building capacity. That’s why they selected GIS software from Esri, the global leader in location intelligence technology.

The MTA, smaller in size compared to its geographic reach, needed a better way of managing its communications network infrastructure across a vast region while also providing field operations and fulfillment teams with mobile applications to do their work remotely, both online and offline. Workers have faced challenging environments, having to quickly react to restore service to its members after wildfires engulfed the area in 2019, for example, making repairs while smoke was still wafting up from the ground. Laying new fiber can take time, too, as it may cross multiple jurisdictions and properties, requiring a host of permits spanning local, state, and federal agencies, as well as approvals from property owners.

By leveraging Esri's ArcGIS Online, MTA was able to implement and deploy field mobile applications for remote and fulfillment teams leveraging online and offline operations, in one comprehensive view. The utility was also able to streamline operations and workflows by increasing its real-time collaboration and communication capabilities.

"Due to the size of our region, it can be difficult managing network infrastructure across such a large area and providing a contiguous view across the region," said Sierra Alcantra, plant facilities systems supervisor, MTA.

MTA’s plant facilities systems team implemented their new solution through Esri's Small Utility Enterprise License Agreement (SU-ELA) program, one specifically designed for smaller communications organizations like MTA to include all the technology necessary for their mapping, digital transformation, and spatial analytics needs including access to support and e-Learning.

"Being a small company, it made sense to purchase an SU-ELA as it provided everything we need for our operations," continued Alcantra. "It provides our organization with the flexibility and scalability we need to confidently operate our business without having to worry about stopping to add a license whenever needed."

For more information about Esri's enterprise license agreements (ELAs) for small utilities, visit esri.com/suela.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.

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