Finest Web Suppliers in Alaska

Alaska is a beautiful state with rugged pure magnificence, nationwide parks and contemporary seafood. Nonetheless, its choices are much less expansive on the subject of web service for its 730,000 residents. You will need to make some compromises when selecting an web service supplier in Alaska. The alternatives fluctuate between fiber, fastened wi-fi, DSL and satellite tv for pc, In keeping with our CNET consultants, GCI is the highest choose for most folk within the state — if it is out there in your space.

What’s the greatest web supplier in Alaska?

CNET’s choose for the very best web service supplier in Alaska is GCI. The ISP earns the No. 1 spot on our checklist 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 most cost-effective 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, worth 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 possibility for some. Although the broadband scene could sound somewhat bleak, there are causes for optimism as a result of greater than $1 billion in federal funding is pouring into the state to enhance web entry in underserved communities. 

Finest web choices in Alaska in 2025

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier information

Web breakdown by metropolis in Alaska

It’s arduous to cowl the broadband choices of a complete state like Alaska and provides particular person cities the eye they deserve. That’s why we additionally compile lists of the very best web suppliers throughout totally different cities in Alaska. We sort out particulars comparable to web connection varieties, most speeds, most cost-effective suppliers and extra. Test again later in the event you don’t discover town you’re in search of under. We’re working so as to add extra places each week. 

Low-cost web choices in Alaska

You gained’t discover discount basement costs on web service in Alaska. Lots of the providers that are available on a budget aspect within the contiguous 48 states aren’t out there on this northern state. Meaning no bundling bargains with the likes of 5G dwelling web service from Verizon 5G Dwelling Web or T-Cellular Dwelling Web. In case your month-to-month web invoice is underneath $100 for a good pace stage, then you definitely’re doing fairly effectively in Alaska. GCI and Alaska Communications have plans for underneath 100, however speeds will fluctuate based mostly 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 possibility for these native firms. There are some drawbacks with legacy DSL networks, like slower prime speeds than you’d get with cable or fiber. DSL will be serviceable when there are few different choices. FCC information means that 100% of residents can entry broadband speeds, outlined as at the very least 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up. That quantity contains the attain of satellite tv for pc web, which is not an amazing answer for everybody as a result of expense or lack of a transparent view of the sky. 

The story of fiber in Alaska is fairly slim in the mean time. The FCC exhibits solely about 14% of residents can entry fiber. If we have a look at gig speeds and better, that drops to only about 11%. What little fiber entry there may be tends to be centered on extra populated areas. There are some sudden pockets of fiber. Native ISP Copper Valley Telecom providers Valdez, a metropolis of underneath 4,000 folks, with speeds as much as 1,000Mbps. Fiber is all the time 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.

The way to discover web offers and promotions in Alaska

The very best web offers and prime promotions in Alaska depend upon what reductions can be found throughout a given time. Most offers are short-lived, however we glance ceaselessly for the newest gives. 

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

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

How briskly is Alaska’s broadband?

On the subject of dwelling web, Alaska is available in at 49 for Ookla’s This fall 2023 Speedtest.web rating of web speeds for the 50 states and Washington, DC. Alaska ranks on the backside of the checklist with a median obtain pace of 119Mbps. For reference, the US’s general pace is at 262Mbps. That is fairly a distinction. Ookla lists GCI as Alaska’s quickest supplier, with a good median obtain pace of 284Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the identical mum or dad firm as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Quick web will be arduous to return by within the Final Frontier. About 100% of Alaska properties can entry web speeds of at the very least 100Mbps, based on the FCC. Transfer as much as 250Mbps, and that dips to 78%. 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 will likely be within the larger cities.

As of June 2025, Ookla reviews that Alaska has a median obtain pace of 179Mbps for fastened web. Ookla city-level information confirmed Anchorage with a median fastened web obtain pace of 259Mbps, Fairbanks was 274Mbps, and Juneau logged 134Mbps. These numbers can change over time. 

With restricted choices, switching to a quicker supplier is just not all the time possible. You’ll be able to benefit from your web connection by following these steps to hurry up your Wi-Fi.   

What’s a superb web pace?

Most web connection plans can now deal with primary productiveness and communication duties. Should you’re in search of an web plan that may accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you may have a greater expertise with a extra sturdy connection. Here is an outline of the beneficial minimal obtain speeds for varied purposes, based on the FCC. Notice that these are solely pointers and that web pace, service and efficiency fluctuate by connection sort, supplier and handle.

For extra info, check with our information on how a lot web pace you actually need.

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

How CNET selected the very best web suppliers in Alaska

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the newest smartphone, laptop computer, router or kitchen device, 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 info that attracts from our personal historic ISP information, accomplice information and mapping info from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov. 

It doesn’t finish there. We go to the FCC’s web site to verify our information and guarantee we contemplate 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 comfortable prospects are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent adjustments; all info offered is correct as of publication. 

As soon as we’ve this localized info, we ask three important questions: 

• Does the supplier supply entry to fairly quick web speeds? 
• Do prospects get first rate worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are prospects pleased with their service? 

Whereas the reply to these questions is commonly layered and complicated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. When choosing the most affordable web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month charge, though we additionally think about issues like worth will increase, gear charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively easy. We have a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and contemplate real-world pace information from sources like Ookla and FCC reviews.

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

What is the closing phrase on web suppliers in Alaska?

Alaska poses quite a lot of challenges to the enlargement of high-speed and inexpensive broadband. The terrain will be unforgiving, the climate will be excessive and lots of communities are in distant areas. Thankfully, there was a concentrate on broadband enlargement, particularly in these distant areas. Cordova Telecom Cooperative introduced in 2023 it will be putting in a submarine fiber optic cable from Cordova to Juneau to ship fiber to Pelican, Yakutat, Gustavus and Hoonah. The undertaking may take 5 years to finish. Alaska can even 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 be notable. In December 2023, GCI linked over 4-thousand Alaskans to entry speeds of as much as 2.5Gigs by its Aleutians Fiber Undertaking. Relating to enhancing broadband, Alaska has nowhere to go however up.

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

Web in Alaska FAQs