On a nearly deserted Alaska island, you pay to keep hundreds of empty buildings wired for internet

On the remote Alaskan island of Adak, hundreds of empty, decaying buildings continue to receive taxpayer-funded internet service. Decades after the local Navy base closed, the federal government keeps paying for connections to structures that are abandoned, boarded up, or reduced to rubble.

Investigation into the Universal Service Fund reveals that Adak Eagle, the local telecommunications provider, receives annual subsidies to maintain broadband in these vacant locations. Residents on the island report that the service provided is largely unusable compared to modern satellite alternatives. Most locals now rely on private satellite internet providers, leaving the federally subsidized fiber lines to reach buildings that no one uses.

Public records show that the company president has spent previous subsidy funds on personal items and high salaries, despite the limited infrastructure needs of the island. Federal oversight appears absent, as the company continues to receive millions in funding despite the reality of the island's empty streets and deteriorating homes. This program, meant to bring connectivity to remote areas, currently funnels taxpayer money into empty buildings in a ghost town.