Alaska wired! We're the most wired state in the nation. Even rural Alaska is jumping onboard.

Though the least populous, most remote state in the country, Alaska is also considered the most wired, ranking No. 1 for home computer penetration and Internet access. A whopping 83.7 percent of Alaska homes are plugged in. It is estimated that Alaskans sign up for high speed service three times more than the national average. According to Alaska's top telecommunications providers, by the end of 2004, 99.5 percent of the state will have local Internet access, including most rural villages.

After Alaska, in terms of percentage of the population with Internet access, is Colorado at 47 percent, followed by Maryland and Utah, each with 46 percent. Mississippi is lowest with 17 percent of adults online. The state ranks high in the use of other communication products and services as well.

Anchorage is connected to the Lower 48 by two high capacity fiber optic networks, with a third network being completed by press time. Anchorage is connected to Fairbanks and Juneau by fiber optic systems and is connected to the rest of Alaska by a state-of-the-art satellite network capable of efficiently delivering voice, data and IP services to regional centers and small rural communities.

High-speed Internet access is provided through both cable modem and DSL (digital subscriber line) infrastructure in Alaska. Anchorage is one of the nation's most competitive telecom markets and is served by three major telecom providers--ACS, AT&T Alascom and GCI.

Andy Coon, director of business sales and service for Alaska Communication System Inc., says, "The future, especially in Alaska, is wireless." The strengths of ACS are through the big corridors and residential…