This Day in Alaska History-March 26th, 1958



 

Barter Island, Alaska White Alice tropospheric antennas. Image-Public Domain
Barter Island, Alaska White Alice tropospheric antennas. Image-Public Domain

It was on this day in 1958 that White Alice, the United States Airforce telecommunications network came online in the Alaska territory.

The network, with 31 original radio stations was switched on on March 26th, 1958, and the large parabolic, tropospheric scatter antennas and smaller microwave dishes began transmitting to and from remote sites throughout the territory. Information from Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W), Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) and Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) started sending information to command and control centers.

It would be ultimately expanded to 80 sites.

It was also used for civilian phone calls.

The installations would be turned over to RCA Alaskcom in 1969. The system would become obsolete by the 70s with the advent of satellite communication links and would be shut down after the system was sold to a civilian operator in the 1980s.

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