Greatest Web Suppliers in Alaska

Alaska has so much to supply, together with rugged pure magnificence, nationwide parks, beautiful glaciers and recent seafood. Nevertheless, the choices are restricted relating to web choices obtainable to the state’s 730,000 residents. Whether or not it is fiber, fastened wi-fi, DSL or satellite tv for pc, you will need to make some compromises when selecting an web service supplier in Alaska. In keeping with our CNET consultants, GCI is the highest choose for many within the state — if it is obtainable in your neighborhood.

What’s the greatest web supplier in Alaska?

GCI is CNET’s choose for the perfect web service supplier in Alaska, due to prime speeds of two.5 gigabits per second and the widest (and nonetheless rising) availability of any wired supplier within the state.

Should you’re trying to find the bottom costs round or the quickest blazing speeds, we have additionally discovered these prime choices. One of many least expensive web plans in Alaska is obtainable by Alaska Communications that includes as much as 2,500Mbps beginning at $80 a month.

Nearly any selection of web supplier in Alaska will include some compromises, whether or not in pace, value or reliability. Rural residents typically have to decide on between satellite tv for pc, fastened wi-fi or DSL connections, with satellite tv for pc as the one viable choice for some. Whereas the broadband scene could sound slightly bleak, there are causes for optimism as over $1 billion in federal funding is pouring into the state to enhance web entry in underserved communities. 

Greatest web choices in Alaska in 2025

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Web breakdown by metropolis in Alaska

It’s onerous to cowl the broadband choices of a whole state like Alaska and provides particular person cities the eye they deserve. That’s why we additionally compile lists of the perfect web suppliers throughout totally different cities in Alaska. We deal with particulars reminiscent of web connection varieties, most speeds, least expensive suppliers and extra. Verify again later for those who don’t discover the town you’re searching for under. We’re working so as to add extra places each week. 

Low-cost web choices in Alaska

You gained’t discover cut price basement costs on web service in Alaska. Lots of the providers that are available in on a budget aspect within the contiguous 48 states aren’t obtainable on this northern state. Meaning no bundling bargains with the likes of 5G dwelling web service from Verizon 5G Residence Web or T-Cellular Residence Web. In case your month-to-month web invoice is below $100 for a good pace degree, then you definately’re doing fairly properly in Alaska. GCI and Alaska Communications have plans for below 100, however speeds will fluctuate primarily based on location and the kind of web connection.

Alaska broadband particulars at a look

Many rural Alaska ISPs have roots in long-time phone cooperatives which have developed to supply web providers. That’s why DSL is a standard choice for these native corporations. There are some drawbacks with legacy DSL networks, like slower prime speeds than you’ll get with cable or fiber. DSL might be serviceable when there are few different choices. FCC knowledge means that 100% of residents can entry broadband speeds, outlined as at the least 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up. That quantity contains the attain of satellite tv for pc web, which is not an awesome resolution for everybody as a consequence of expense or lack of a transparent view of the sky. 

The story of fiber in Alaska is fairly slim in the meanwhile. The FCC reveals solely about 10% of residents can entry fiber. If we have a look at gig speeds and better, that drops to simply 7%. What little fiber entry there may be tends to be targeted on extra populated areas. There are some sudden pockets of fiber. Native ISP Copper Valley Telecom providers Valdez, a metropolis of below 4,000 individuals, with speeds as much as 1,000Mbps. Fiber is at all times on the prime of dwelling web want lists, however Alaska’s terrain and distant areas make it a difficult place to construct intensive fiber networks.

Tips on how to discover web offers and promotions in Alaska

The perfect web offers and prime promotions in Alaska rely upon what reductions can be found throughout a given time. Most offers are short-lived, however we glance steadily for the newest affords. 

Giant suppliers run the identical customary pricing year-round in some components of the nation. The smaller and extra native suppliers in Alaska, reminiscent of GCI, don’t comply with a sure timeline when altering their costs.

For a extra intensive listing of promos, try our information on the greatest web offers.

How briskly is Alaska’s broadband?

In the case of dwelling web, Alaska is available in at 49 for Ookla’s This autumn 2023 Speedtest.web rating of web speeds for the 50 states (and Washington, DC). Alaska ranks on the backside of the listing with a median obtain pace of 119Mbps. The US general is at 262Mbps. That is fairly a distinction. Ookla lists GCI as Alaska’s quickest supplier, with a decent median obtain pace of 284Mbps.

Quick web might be onerous to come back by within the Final Frontier. About 100% of Alaska houses can entry web speeds of at the least 100Mbps, in line with the FCC. Transfer as much as 250Mbps, and that dips to 70%. If quick web is a should for you and also you’re shifting to Alaska, you’ll wish to do some homework about the place to land. Your greatest wager for gig speeds can be within the greater cities.

As of February 2025, Ookla studies that Alaska has a median obtain pace of 165Mbps for fastened web. Ookla city-level knowledge confirmed Anchorage with a median fastened web obtain pace of 250Mbps, Fairbanks was 258Mbps, and Juneau logged 272Mbps. These numbers can change over time. 

With restricted choices, switching to a sooner supplier just isn’t at all times possible. You possibly can take advantage of your web connection by following these steps to hurry up your Wi-Fi.   

What’s a great web pace?

Most web connection plans can now deal with fundamental productiveness and communication duties. Should you’re searching for an web plan that may accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you will have a greater expertise with a extra strong connection. This is an outline of the beneficial minimal obtain speeds for varied purposes, in line with the FCC. Be aware that these are solely pointers and that web pace, service and efficiency fluctuate by connection sort, supplier and handle.

For extra data, seek advice from our information on how a lot web pace you actually need.

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you deal with the fundamentals: shopping the web, sending and receiving electronic mail and streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps offers you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps ought to give one consumer adequate bandwidth to fulfill the calls for of contemporary telecommuting, video streaming and on-line gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps permits one to 2 customers to concurrently have interaction in high-bandwidth actions like videoconferencing, streaming and on-line gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps permits three or extra customers to interact in high-bandwidth actions on the similar time.

How CNET selected the perfect web suppliers in Alaska

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the newest smartphone, laptop computer, router or kitchen software, it is impractical to personally take a look at each web service supplier in a given metropolis. What’s our strategy? For starters, we faucet right into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and pace data that pulls from our personal historic ISP knowledge, associate knowledge and mapping data from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov. 

It doesn’t finish there. We go to the FCC’s web site to test our knowledge and guarantee we take into account each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to seek out particular choices for residents. We have a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to judge how pleased clients are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent modifications; all data offered is correct as of publication. 

As soon as we’ve this localized data, we ask three principal questions: 

• Does the supplier provide entry to moderately quick web speeds? 
• Do clients get respectable worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are clients pleased with their service? 

Whereas the reply to these questions is usually layered and complicated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. When deciding on the most cost effective web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month charge, though we additionally consider issues like value will increase, tools charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively simple. We have a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and take into account real-world pace knowledge from sources like Ookla and FCC studies. (Ookla is owned by the identical mum or dad firm as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we take a look at ISPs web page.

What is the last phrase on web suppliers in Alaska?

Alaska poses plenty of challenges to the enlargement of high-speed and inexpensive broadband. The terrain might be unforgiving, the climate might be excessive and plenty of communities are in distant areas. Thankfully, there was a deal with broadband enlargement, particularly in these distant areas. Cordova Telecom Cooperative introduced in 2023 it could be putting in a submarine fiber optic cable from Cordova to Juneau to ship fiber to Pelican, Yakutat, Gustavus and Hoonah. The mission may take 5 years to finish. Alaska may also obtain $100 million in US Division of Agriculture funding to construct out fiber (and a few wi-fi) web within the Bethel, Yukon-Kuskokwim, Kusilvak and Hoonah-Angoon areas. GCI’s work to deliver fiber-based wired connections to distant communities can also be notable. In December 2023, GCI related over 4-thousand Alaskans to entry speeds of as much as 2.5Gigs via its Aleutians Fiber Undertaking. Relating to bettering broadband, Alaska has nowhere to go however up.

Residents can anticipate to select from a spread of DSL, satellite tv for pc and glued wi-fi plans. Though, choices are restricted in most distant areas, Alaskans sometimes have entry to satellite tv for pc suppliers like Starlink with plans beginning at $120 a month. GCI affords prime speeds of two,500Mbps for $190 a month.

Web in Alaska FAQs