Manokotak Students to Interact Live with Astronauts at the International Space Station

ANCHORAGE - Students in the village of Manokotak will have the rare opportunity to interact, in real time, with astronauts stationed at the International Space Station on Thursday, April 10. Students of all ages will uplink live using video conferencing and satellite technology provided by GCI, and will benefit from an in-person appearance by Alaskan and NASA astronaut Bill Oefelein, who will travel to the area.

This event is the first of its kind in Alaska. Manokotak students, selected for their use of distance education technology in remote locations, will have the unprecedented chance to hear a live demonstration by the astronauts and question them about their work. The interaction is expected to last about 30 minutes.

GCI first approached the Southwest Regions Schools District in December of 2002 when it became aware of an application NASA was circulating for its "Teaching from Space" program. GCI spearheaded the submission effort and the school district enlisted the support of Senator Ted Stevens. The application was accepted in February of 2003.

SchoolAccess distance learning components, including two-way interactive audio and video conferencing, have created new ways for rural schools to meet, talk, teach, exchange and learn across vast distances. The technology enables students to take locally unoffered classes from a master teacher in nearby Dillingham, a critical step toward meeting the tenets of the Bush Administration's "No Child Left Behind" Act.

The event in Manokotak debuts GCI's SchoolAccess technology in the area, (25 miles southwest of Dillingham). The program, which is widely used in other rural parts of the state, provides technological opportunities to underserved schools. Services and features geared specifically with educators and students in mind are the core of SchoolAccess; the program delivers Internet access, Internet content filtering, e-mail, web hosting, security, network services, 24-hour tech help, on-site assistance and e-Rate support to maximize government funding.

Astronaut Bill Oefelein graduated from Anchorage's West High School in 1983. He went on to become a NASA astronaut in June of 1998 and is currently qualified for space flight as a pilot. He is stationed at the Johnson Space Center in Texas and is assigned on STS-116, an assembly and crew-rotation mission to the International Space Station scheduled for launch in 2003.

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. SchoolAccess works closely with schools to meet their individual technological needs. More information about SchoolAccess can be found at www.schoolaccess.net.

GCI (Nasdaq:GNCMA) provides local, wireless, and long distance telephone, cable television, Internet and data communication services in Alaska. More information about the company can be found at www.gci.com.