Fort Wainwright Expands Barracks Wireless Internet Access

Official Statements

• Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office, November 12: “Fort Wainwright is expanding wireless internet access to all permanent party barracks across 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.”

• Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office, November 12: “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.”

• Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office, November 12: “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.”

• Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office, November 12: “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.”

• Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office, November 12: “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.”

• Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office, November 12: “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.”