Some villages to get high-speed Internet connections, cafes

AT&T Alascom is making some small changes that could have big effects on a few Southeast villages, where the only Internet service has been low-speed dial-up.

Next month, the company will finish upgrading microwave infrastructure for Internet service to Edna Bay, Port Protection, Tenakee Springs, Naukati and Port Alexander.

The upgrades are being funded through a Regulatory Commission of Alaska program with U.S. Department of Agriculture money.

They'll get high-speed connections. And as part of the grant requirements, AT&T will build small Internet cafes in each village and provide some tech support, Chief Operating Officer Chris Brown said.

"We stepped up to do that not because it's an obvious commercial success for us, but because we were clearly in the best position to provide service," Brown said.