GCI's partnership with the FAA and its remote weather camera program as helped reduce weather-related aviation incidents in the state by 85 percent.
“Alaskans depend on aviation services more than most and, because of our partnership, Alaska pilots will continue to get the vital weather information they need to stay safe.”
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (PRWEB) November 01, 2017
For its life-saving work improving aviation safety in Alaska, GCI – the state’s largest technology and telecommunications company – was awarded the Competitive Carriers Association’s 2017 Industry Innovation Award.
GCI partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration nearly a decade ago to install weather cameras on hundreds of remote towers throughout Alaska, helping reduce weather-related aviation incidents in the state by 85 percent.
“We’re honored to receive this year’s CCA Industry Innovation Award, recognizing the steps being taken to make Alaska’s skies safer,” said Pam Lloyd, vice president of GCI Government, Healthcare, and Education. “Alaskans depend on aviation services more than most and, because of our partnership, Alaska pilots will continue to get the vital weather information they need to stay safe.”
GCI provides statewide internet connectivity that makes it possible to easily transmit images from the weather cameras to dedicated virtual private networks. The company also leases space and power to the FAA and delivers 24/7 support for technical issues.
“I congratulate GCI for winning CCA’s 2017 Industry Innovation Award for a carrier member. GCI’s program with the FAA epitomizes the important innovative solutions that competitive carriers contribute to the wireless industry – and in this case, the aviation industry as well,” said CCA President & CEO Steven K. Berry. “GCI’s collaborative work and can-do mindset resulted in drastic improvements in the weather information reaching pilots in Alaska – saving lives and also benefitting the economy. GCI is very deserving of this year’s award, and I am very pleased they are being honored for their program.”
There are currently 960 FAA weather cameras located throughout Alaska, many of which are located on GCI towers and facilities. Images can be viewed on the FAA website at http://avcams.faa.gov.
CCA’s Industry Innovation Award for carriers is presented to companies that make an outstanding innovative contribution to the wireless industry, honoring a creative, forward-thinking achievement that is most noteworthy throughout the wireless industry.
About GCI
GCI is the largest telecommunications and technology company in Alaska, providing data, wireless, video, voice and managed services to consumer and business customers for nearly 40 years. Headquartered in Anchorage with a growing list of regional offices and customers across the nation, GCI has delivered innovative services and solutions to some of the most remote communities and in some of the most challenging conditions in North America. Learn more about GCI at http://www.gci.com
About CCA
Headquartered in Washington D.C., CCA is committed to being the premier advocacy organization for competitive wireless carriers and stakeholders. CCA advocates on behalf of its members’ interests and works to educate policymakers on the key issues that impact members’ ability to compete, survive, and thrive, including access to spectrum, access to devices access to networks, universal service fund (USF) reform, Next-Generation 911 (NG911) solutions, among others. Learn more at ccamobile.org.