Fort Wainwright Expands Barracks Wireless Internet Access
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DVIDS - Georgiaacross the installation after a successful six building pilot program demonstrated the
value of reliable, no cost connectivity for soldiers. The pilot was launched earlier this
year as part of the Army’s Barracks Task Force effort to improve soldiers’ quality of life.
The effort is being carried out through an Intergovernmental Support Agreement with
the University of Alaska Fairbanks. An IGSA is a public to public agreement authorized
under federal law that allows military installations to work with state or local government
partners to provide installation support services in an efficient and practical way. Public
universities can serve as eligible partners under that authority. At Fort Wainwright, the
agreement allowed the installation to partner with UAF, which brought experience
managing wireless internet service in student housing and worked through a provider it
had experience with in its dormitory program to support barracks connectivity on post.
Under the pilot, UAF managed installation and operation of the network service as the
installation’s public partner.
Under the expanded service, soldiers will receive individual accounts that support up to
10 personal devices, with speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second across those devices at
no cost to the Soldier. Reliable internet access helps soldiers stay connected with family
and friends, complete personal and professional tasks online, and pursue education
during off duty hours. The service is intended to support daily needs such as online
learning, training, video calls, streaming and other digital activities.
“Providing reliable internet access in the barracks is an important quality of life
improvement for our soldiers,” said Col. John W. Campbell, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska
commander. “This effort helps ensure soldiers have the connectivity they need to
manage daily life, continue their education and stay connected to the people and
resources that matter most.”
For some soldiers, improved internet access directly affects their ability to balance
military responsibilities with academic goals and everyday demands.
“Having reliable internet in the barracks makes a real difference,” said Spc. Noah D.
Packard. “I am working on my master’s degree, and before this it could be difficult to
submit assignments and documents on time. Better internet access takes away that
extra stress and makes it easier to stay on top of school and other responsibilities.”
The installation is working to complete the expansion as quickly as possible, with
garrison leadership prioritizing barracks connectivity during the holiday season to help
Soldiers reduce out of pocket internet costs. More information on service availability and
implementation timelines will be shared through soldiers’ chain of command as the
project moves forward.
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