Greatest Web Suppliers in Alaska

Alaska has quite a bit to supply, together with rugged pure magnificence, nationwide parks, beautiful glaciers and contemporary seafood. Nonetheless, the choices are restricted in the case of web choices out there to the state’s 730,000 residents. Whether or not it is fiber, fastened wi-fi, DSL or satellite tv for pc, you will should make some compromises when choosing an web service supplier in Alaska. Based on our CNET specialists, GCI is the highest decide for many within the state — if it is out there in your neighborhood.

What’s the finest web supplier in Alaska?

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

In the event you’re trying to find the bottom costs round or the quickest blazing speeds, we have additionally discovered these high 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.

Virtually 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 might sound a little bit 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

Alaska web suppliers in contrast

Supplier	Web expertise	Month-to-month value vary	Pace vary	Month-to-month gear prices	Knowledge cap	Contract	CNET evaluation rating
Alaska Communications	Cable, Fiber	$70-$185	250-2,500Mbps Fiber; 10-75Mbps Cable (varies by location)	None	Limitless	None	N/A
Borealis Broadband	Fastened wi-fi	Varies; $50 beginning value	100-500Mbps (varies by location)	None	1TB	2-years	N/A
GCI	Cable	$90-$190	250-2,500Mbps	None	Varies	2-years	N/A
Hughesnet Learn full evaluation	Satellite tv for pc	$50-$95 ($75-$120 after 12 months)	50-100Mbps (varies by location)	$15-$20 or $300-$450 one-time buy	100-200GB	2-years	6
SpitwSpots	Fastened wi-fi	$89-$199; $99-$249 (Plus)	10-150Mbps; 18-300Mbps (Plus)	$9	None	Varies	N/A
Starlink Learn full evaluation	Low orbit satellite tv for pc	$120; $50-$150 (Roam); $250-$5,000 (Boats)	100-220Mbps	$249 one-time buy	Limitless; 1TB-5TB (Precedence)	None	N/A
Viasat Learn full evaluation	Satellite tv for pc	$100	25-150Mbps	$15 or $250 one-time buy	Limitless	Month-to-month	6.1

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Rural web choices in Alaska

Supplier	Connection sort	Worth vary	Pace vary	Knowledge cap	Availability
Borealis Broadband	Fastened wi-fi	Varies; $50 beginning value	100-500Mbps (varies by location)	1TB	Anchorage, Eagle River
Bristol Bay Communications Group	DSL	$30-$275	2Mbps-25Mbps	None	Bristol Bay space
Bush-Inform	DSL	$39-$229	512Kbps-6Mbps	Varies as much as 100GB	Grayling, Holy Cross, Kalskag, Stony River areas
Cordova Telecom Cooperative	DSL	$40-$123	8-100Mbps	Varies	Cordova space
Mountain Beam	Fastened wi-fi	$30-$180 for 30-day interval	8-48Mbps	None	Fairbanks space
MTA	DSL	$70-$180	Varies	250GB or limitless	Anderson, Wasilla, Talkeetna, Palmer, Eagle River
SpitwSpots	Fastened wi-fi	$89-$199; $99-$249 (Plus)	10-150Mbps; 18-300Mbps (Plus)	None	Anchor Level, Soldotna and Fairbanks areas

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Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Web breakdown by metropolis in Alaska

It’s laborious 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 most effective web suppliers throughout totally different cities in Alaska. We deal with particulars equivalent to web connection sorts, most speeds, least expensive suppliers and extra. Test again later when you don’t discover town you’re in search of under. We’re working so as to add extra places each week. 

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Low cost web choices in Alaska

You gained’t discover discount basement costs on web service in Alaska. Most of the providers that are available in 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 an honest pace stage, then you definitely’re doing fairly properly in Alaska. GCI and Alaska Communications have plans for underneath 100, however speeds will range based mostly on location and the kind of web connection.

What is the least expensive web plan in Alaska?

Supplier	Beginning value	Max obtain pace	Month-to-month gear charge
Viasat Limitless Learn full evaluation	$100	75Mbps	$15 a month or $250 one-time buy
Hughesnet Choose Plan Learn full evaluation	$50 ($75 after 12 months)	50Mbps	$15 a month or $300-one time buy
Alaska Communications Web Now	$70	250Mbps	None
Alaska Communications Fiber 250	$85	250Mbps	None
GCI Quick	$100	250Mbps	None

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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 high speeds than you’d get with cable or fiber. DSL will be serviceable when there are few different choices. FCC knowledge means that 100% of residents can entry broadband speeds, outlined as no less than 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up. That quantity contains the attain of satellite tv for pc web, which is not an excellent answer for everybody because 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 reveals solely about 10% of residents can entry fiber. If we take a look at gig speeds and better, that drops to simply 7%. What little fiber entry there’s 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 high of dwelling web want lists, however Alaska’s terrain and distant areas make it a difficult place to construct intensive fiber networks.

The best way to discover web offers and promotions in Alaska

The perfect web offers and high promotions in Alaska depend upon what reductions can be found throughout a given time. Most offers are short-lived, however we glance often for the newest provides. 

Massive suppliers run the identical normal pricing year-round in some elements of the nation. The smaller and extra native suppliers in Alaska, equivalent to GCI, don’t observe a sure timeline when altering their costs.

For a extra intensive checklist of promos, take a look at our information on the finest web offers.

How briskly is Alaska’s broadband?

With regards to 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. 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 will be laborious to return by within the Final Frontier. About 100% of Alaska properties can entry web speeds of no less than 100Mbps, in accordance 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 transferring to Alaska, you’ll need to do some homework about the place to land. Your finest guess for gig speeds might be within the larger cities.

As of February 2025, Ookla experiences 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 isn’t all the time possible. You’ll be able to take advantage of your web connection by following these steps to hurry up your Wi-Fi.   

Quickest web plans in Alaska

Supplier	Beginning value	Max obtain pace	Max add pace	Knowledge cap	Connection sort
Alaska Communications Fiber 2500	$185	2,500Mbps	2,500Mbps	None	Fiber
GCI Crimson Limitless	$190	2,500Mbps	75Mbps	None	Cable
GCI Quickest	$165	1,000Mbps	40Mbps	1TB	Cable

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What’s a great web pace?

Most web connection plans can now deal with primary productiveness and communication duties. In the event you’re in search of an web plan that may accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you will have a greater expertise with a extra strong connection. Here is an outline of the really useful minimal obtain speeds for varied functions, in accordance with the FCC. Be aware that these are solely tips and that web pace, service and efficiency range by connection sort, supplier and deal with.

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

• 0 to 5Mbps permits you to deal with the fundamentals: looking 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 interact in high-bandwidth actions on the similar time.

How CNET selected the most effective web suppliers in Alaska

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. Not like 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 method? For starters, we faucet right into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and pace data that attracts 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 verify our knowledge and guarantee we think about each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to search out particular choices for residents. We take a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to judge how completely satisfied clients are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent adjustments; all data offered is correct as of publication. 

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

• Does the supplier provide entry to fairly quick web speeds? 
• Do clients get first rate worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are clients proud of their service? 

Whereas the reply to these questions is usually layered and sophisticated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we suggest. 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 value will increase, gear charges and contracts. Selecting the quickest web service is comparatively easy. We take a look at marketed add and obtain speeds and think about real-world pace knowledge from sources like Ookla and FCC experiences. (Ookla is owned by the identical father or mother 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 ultimate phrase on web suppliers in Alaska?

Alaska poses a variety of challenges to the growth 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 deal with broadband growth, particularly in these distant areas. Cordova Telecom Cooperative introduced in 2023 it might be putting in a submarine fiber optic cable from Cordova to Juneau to ship fiber to Pelican, Yakutat, Gustavus and Hoonah. The challenge may take 5 years to finish. Alaska may 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 carry 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 way of its Aleutians Fiber Undertaking. Concerning bettering broadband, Alaska has nowhere to go however up.

Residents can anticipate to select from a variety 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 provides high speeds of two,500Mbps for $190 a month.

Web in Alaska FAQs