GCI Taps Databricks for Alaska's Network Data

Alaska's sprawling landscape, larger than the next three U.S. states combined, presents unique challenges for communications provider GCI. To manage the trillions of data points generated by its network, GCI has turned to Databricks, leveraging its platform to drive value for both customers and the business. This partnership, detailed on the Databricks blog, highlights how advanced analytics are transforming service delivery in remote regions.

Since migrating its legacy infrastructure to Databricks on Azure six years ago, GCI has continuously adopted new features. This evolution includes using Unity Catalog for data consolidation and Databricks Asset Bundles for improved governance. Now, the company is deploying newer capabilities to revolutionize data management and analysis.

Metric Views Streamline Network Insights

Central to GCI's data strategy is the adoption of Databricks Metric Views. These views allow GCI to efficiently calculate key performance indicators for customer experience and network performance from vast telemetry datasets. The result has been a significant improvement in performance and a reduction in costs compared to previous methods.

Unlike traditional aggregate tables, Metric Views facilitate rapid, efficient analysis, even with complex data groupings. This approach also decouples metric metadata from data engineering, enabling subject matter experts to define measures while engineers focus on pipeline management. This division accelerates innovation and enhances collaboration, with Infrastructure-as-Code ensuring easy version control and compliance.

AI and Dynamic Dashboards Accelerate Decision-Making

Beyond network operations, GCI is empowering its internal stakeholders with conversational data interaction. AI/BI Genie provides chatbots that deliver relevant insights within secure, domain-specific contexts, adhering to Unity Catalog's security policies. This allows analysts to push information faster, reducing the back-and-forth typically associated with visualization requests.

Dynamic Dashboards further accelerate insight delivery by assisting with AI-powered coding for visualizations. This eliminates the need to transfer data to separate visualization platforms, streamlining the entire process. The Databricks One interface allows GCI to tailor the availability of these tools based on its security protocols.

As GCI continues to enhance network experience for Alaskans, its collaboration with Databricks remains key. This ongoing partnership focuses on delivering high-performance networks, ensuring that remote communities receive connectivity comparable to major urban centers.