GCI Extends Alaska's Successful SchoolAccess® Program to Rural Montana Schools

ANCHORAGE, AK - This week, two small, rural Montana schools will evaluate Internet technology services that rival the Internet capabilities of larger districts. The new advanced services will help expand student learning opportunities, increase the administrative capacity of school leaders and ensure compliance with recent federal mandates on protecting students online.

General Communication, Inc. (GCI), an Alaska-based integrated telecommunications provider, announced today that two schools have started to evaluate Internet and network services from GCI's SchoolAccess® program. Lavina K-12 Schools and Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 schools will receive e-mail, web hosting, security, network optimization, network management and content filtering services to deliver a comprehensive technology solution for the school districts. Internet access continues to be provided by local telecommunications companies. The agreement will allow the schools to spend less time on the administration of technology services and more time on educating students. SchoolAccess reduces the need for schools to train and maintain a technology staff, especially with its 24-7 monitoring and technical support aimed exclusively at educators.

SchoolAccess enables schools to meet the expectations of their local communities and new federal requirements regarding Internet filtering for students. By October 28, 2001, schools must certify that they have complied with the Children's Internet Protection Act, which aims to protect students from potentially harmful Internet content, or risk losing certain federal funding. SchoolAccess maintains a powerful and proven filtering solution for every customer at no added cost.

"SchoolAccess is committed to working with rural districts in Montana where challenges to providing broadband connectivity and high-quality Internet services are most pervasive," said Martin Cary, GCI vice president of broadband services. "SchoolAccess is partnering with these districts to help them close the 'Digital Divide' and prepare their students for the 21st Century."

The SchoolAccess program was first deployed in Alaska where GCI provides satellite- and terrestrial-delivered voice, video and data services to most of the state's rural communities. Today, more than 70,000 rural Alaska students are connected to the Internet with SchoolAccess. GCI provides e-mail service, a custom user interface, a help desk, onsite training and website hosting for more than 155 of the Alaska's rural schools, and another 85 schools in urban areas. This past summer, GCI expanded SchoolAccess to 22 schools in rural New Mexico and Arizona that serve more than 10,500 students. GCI also develops partnerships with local service and telecommunications providers to offer seamless integration and high levels of service in the region.

According to Cary, by successfully deploying SchoolAccess in the most rural school districts in Alaska, GCI created a service philosophy and platform that would address the Internet access and managed services needs of school districts in other rural areas of the country.

"For years, we've worked toward improving how education is delivered by encouraging the use of the Internet as a critical resource," Cary said. "SchoolAccess allows rural students to retain their cultural ties and have access to the educational enhancements made possible by the Internet."

SchoolAccess is a premium Internet service that utilizes the E-rate program to enable rural schools to afford broadband access and high-quality services such as filtering, e-mail, web hosting and network administration. GCI works closely with schools to meet their individual technological needs. More information about SchoolAccess can be found at www.schoolaccess.net

GCI (Nasdaq:GNCMA) is an Alaska-based integrated communication provider that delivers voice, video and data services through its fiber optic, satellite, hybrid fiber coaxial and metropolitan area networks. More information about GCI can be found at www.gci.com.