Anchorage NBC affiliate KTUU-TV today reported on how six Arctic communities in Alaska are preparing for the launch of high-speed Internet service and “a flood of new technological potential.”  Anticipated to break ground this summer with service commencing in mid-2017, the fiber optic cable will extend from Fairbanks to Nome.  Northwest Arctic Borough Chief of Staff Eugene Smith said that “higher speeds and the ability to communicate is just going to be a major success story for everyone.”  Future project phases would involve connecting the network to Japan and the United Kingdom through the Arctic.