Breaking: GCI acquiring Quintillion, fiber network operator

By THE ALASKA STORY

April 22, 2026 – Alaska telecommunications provider GCI Liberty announced Wednesday it will acquire subsea fiber network operator Quintillion in a deal valued at approximately $310 million, marking a significant consolidation in the state’s communications infrastructure sector.

The news was reported by Broadband Breakfast.

The transaction brings together Quintillion’s more than 1,800 miles of existing subsea and terrestrial fiber, along with roughly 1,500 miles of planned expansion, under GCI’s broader statewide network. Company officials said the merger is intended to strengthen connectivity across Alaska, particularly in remote and underserved regions where fiber access remains limited.

GCI Liberty, which is controlled by cable industry pioneer John Malone, said the acquisition aligns with its long-term strategy of expanding reliable broadband and telecommunications services across the state. As part of the deal, GCI plans to extend an additional $160 million unsecured loan to Quintillion shortly after closing, signaling a substantial investment in maintaining and upgrading the network.

Quintillion has been owned for just over two years by Grain Management, a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm specializing in digital infrastructure. That ownership period included a major operational setback in 2025, when a subsea fiber break in the Arctic Ocean disrupted service for large portions of Alaska. The outage, which lasted roughly nine months before repairs were completed, degraded internet and mobile connectivity across multiple communities and raised concerns about the resilience of critical infrastructure in extreme environments.

The companies did not address the prior outage directly in their announcement but emphasized that the combined network will improve redundancy and reliability going forward.

Financially, the $310 million enterprise value reflects a combination of equity and assumed debt, minus available cash. The structure underscores both the capital-intensive nature of Arctic telecommunications infrastructure and the strategic importance of fiber networks in Alaska’s vast and often isolated geography.

The announcement did not specify the future role of Quintillion President Mac McHale within the merged organization.

If completed as planned, the acquisition would position GCI as the dominant player in Alaska’s fiber backbone, integrating long-haul subsea capacity with its existing terrestrial systems and potentially reshaping how broadband service is delivered across the state.