Editing Fairbanks, Alaska (section)

===Utilities===
[[File:Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.jpg|thumb|Fairbanks Memorial Hospital]]
[[File:Trans-Alaskan Pipeline.jpg|thumb|[[Trans-Alaska Pipeline]], approximately {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} north of Fairbanks, Alaska]]
Electricity is provided by the Golden Valley Electric Association,<ref>[https://gvea.com] Golden Valley Electric Association website.</ref> an electric cooperative formed in 1946 to serve areas that the City of Fairbanks' Municipal Utilities System (FMUS) didn't serve. In 1997, GVEA purchased the electric distribution system from FMUS. The downtown coal fired power plant was also purchased by Usibelli Coal Mine under the subsidiary Aurora Energy and contracts to provide power to GVEA. There are four steam turbines fueled by coal. Interior Alaska is not connected to the electrical grid of the contiguous United States and Canada, but a 138kv transmission line constructed in 1985 connects Fairbanks with electric companies serving the Southcentral Alaska area: Matanuska Electric Association, Chugach Electric Association and Homer Electric Association. Until 2019, GVEA held the world record for the largest rechargeable battery BESS,<ref>Battery Energy Storage System [https://www.gvea.com/battery-system/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409005428/https://www.gvea.com/battery-system/|date=April 9, 2021}}</ref> which weighs approximately 1,300&nbsp;tons. The battery was installed to help bridge the gaps that occur during power outages from the transmission line to Southcentral Alaska. The battery can provide 25 megawatts of electric for 15 minutes or provide power for 7&nbsp;minutes to about 12,000 homes.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2861493/Worlds-biggest-battery-switched-on-in-Alaska.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2861493/Worlds-biggest-battery-switched-on-in-Alaska.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=World's biggest battery switched on in Alaska | first=Edmund | last=Conway | date=August 28, 2003 | access-date=October 19, 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]] operates its own coal-fired generating station on campus, providing electricity and steam heat to university buildings.<ref name="Utilities">{{Cite web|title=UAF Facilities Services :: Division of Utilities|url=http://www.uaf.edu/fs/utilities.html|date=July 4, 2009|website=UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704190327/http://www.uaf.edu/fs/utilities.html|archive-date=July 4, 2009|access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref> As of 2019, a new fluidized bed 20 megawatt coal-fired power plant was completed, replacing the old dual boiler system<ref>[https://www.uaf.edu/heatandpower/background.php UAF completes new power plant]</ref>

Until 1996, telephone service was provided by the Fairbanks Municipal Utilities System (FMUS), owned by the City of Fairbanks. In that year, the voters in the City of Fairbanks authorized the sale of FMUS, which included telephone, electrical, and sewer and water. The telephone system was sold to PTI, a subsidiary of Pacific Power and Light, a subsidiary itself of [[PacifiCorp]]. However, PacifiCorp's purchase of The Energy Group, a diversified energy company with operations in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the U.S. with debt put pressure on PacifiCorp and they sold the telephone holdings to CenturyTel.<ref>PacifiCorp History [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/pacificorp-history/ Funding Universe. Accessed December 20, 2020.]</ref> CenturyTel didn't hang onto it long, not being interested in the Alaska portfolio they had acquired from PacifiCorp. They sold the telephone utility to Alaska Communications, Inc., a private company, some of whom were Alaskans involved in the prior PTI company. Alaska Communications (ACS) had promised that Fairbanks was to be the corporate headquarters with a new building at the corner of Cushman St. and 1st Avenue. That changed as, in the process of acquiring the Fairbanks-based telephone utility, the Anchorage Telephone Utility came up for sale, ACS purchased it and Anchorage became the headquarters for [[Alaska Communications Systems]].<ref>Alaska Supreme Court. [http://touchngo.com/sp/html/sp-5002.htm "Falke v. Fairbanks City Council"], touchngo.com. June 12, 1998. Accessed August 1, 2009.</ref>

[[General Communication|General Communications Inc.]] (GCI) has competed against ACS in Fairbanks since 1997 with installation of an earth station on the site of the former satellite monitoring system of the European Space Research Organization, now the European Space Agency.<ref name="GCIoverview">GCI. [http://www.gci.com/about/coover.htm "Company Overview"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505062052/http://www.gci.com/about/coover.htm |date=May 5, 2010 }}, GCI.com. Accessed September 30, 2009.</ref> GCI purchased ACS's mobile phone service from ACS in 2014, when ACS had a lot of debt.<ref>Alaska Journal of Commerce December 12, 2014, accessed December 19, 2020 [https://www.alaskajournal.com/business-and-finance/2014-12-11/gci-buys-acs-wireless-business]</ref> Other mobile providers are national companies [[AT&T Mobility]] and [[Verizon Wireless]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Coverage Viewer|url=http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/|website=AT&T|publisher=AT&T Wireless|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919001149/http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/|archive-date=September 19, 2009|access-date=September 30, 2009}}</ref>

A pair of [[fiber optic]] cables provide long-distance telephone and Internet service. One parallels the Parks Highway and connects Fairbanks to Anchorage, while the other parallels the Richardson Highway and connects Fairbanks to Valdez.<ref>Alaska Communications Systems. [http://www.acsalaska.com/business/enterprise/anc-fnks-fiber.asp "Anchorage to Fairbanks Fiber"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912185922/http://acsalaska.com/business/enterprise/anc-fnks-fiber.asp |date=September 12, 2009 }}, acsalaska.com. Accessed September 30, 2009.</ref> A third, spur fiber optic cable parallels the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and connects Fairbanks to [[Prudhoe Bay]].<ref>GCI press release [http://www.gci.com/about/press/gcifcc.htm "GCI to acquire majority control of fiber optic system"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907170007/http://www.gci.com/about/press/gcifcc.htm |date=September 7, 2008 }}, GCI.com. February 21, 2001. Accessed September 30, 2009.</ref> In 2020, Matanuska Telephone Association's subsidiary MTA Fiber Holdings has recently completed the AlCan One fiber installation from its prior connections from Wasilla to Fairbanks and North Pole, continuing down the Alaska Highway to the Canadian border where it connects with Canadian carriers.<ref>Alaska News Source [https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/content/news/Historic-first-all-terrestrial-fiber-line-created-to-improve-Alaskas-connectivity-570784891.html] May 26, 2020</ref>

Broadband Internet access is provided by GCI, ACS, Ace Tekk and a handful of [[Satellite Internet access|satellite Internet]] and wireless Internet services.<ref name="GCIoverview"/><ref>{{cite web|title=ACS Personal Internet Service|url=http://www.acsalaska.com/personal/internet/index.asp|website=acsalaska|publisher=Alaska Communications Systems|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090928002329/http://www.acsalaska.com/personal/internet/index.asp|archive-date=September 28, 2009|access-date=September 30, 2009}}</ref>