Alaska telecom lags, despite billions in subsidies

Alaska has some of the slowest internet service in the country, but it’s not for a lack of investment.

In the past decade the Federal Communications Commission has given telecom companies in the state more than $4 billion, but many Alaskans still opt for satellite service through Starlink because they say the subsidized plans are expensive and unreliable.

Some public money is padding profits for a company whose founder went to prison for tax evasion.

Here & Now's Scott Tong speaks with reporter Kyle Hopkins of the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica, who investigated telecom subsidies in Alaska.