Best Internet Providers in Alaska

Alaska has lots to supply, together with rugged pure magnificence, nationwide parks, gorgeous glaciers and contemporary seafood. Nevertheless, the choices are restricted in the case of web choices obtainable to the state’s 730,000 residents. Whether or not it is fiber, mounted wi-fi, DSL or satellite tv for pc, you may need to make some compromises when choosing an web service supplier in Alaska. In accordance with our CNET consultants, GCI is the highest choose for many within the state — if it is obtainable in your neighborhood.

What’s the finest web supplier in Alaska?

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

If you happen to’re attempting 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.

Virtually any alternative of web supplier in Alaska will include some compromises, whether or not in velocity, worth or reliability. Rural residents usually have to decide on between satellite tv for pc, mounted wi-fi or DSL connections, with satellite tv for pc as the one viable possibility 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 information

Web breakdown by metropolis in Alaska

It’s exhausting 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 sort out particulars corresponding to web connection sorts, most speeds, most cost-effective suppliers and extra. Test again later should you don’t discover town you’re searching for beneath. We’re working so as to add extra areas each week. 

Low cost web choices in Alaska

You received’t discover cut price basement costs on web service in Alaska. Most of the companies that are available 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 residence 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 velocity stage, then you definately’re doing fairly nicely in Alaska. GCI and Alaska Communications have plans for underneath 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 companies. That’s why DSL is a typical 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 no less than 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 consequence of expense or lack of a transparent view of the sky. 

The story of fiber in Alaska is fairly slim for the time being. 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’s tends to be centered on extra populated areas. There are some sudden pockets of fiber. Native ISP Copper Valley Telecom companies Valdez, a metropolis of underneath 4,000 folks, with speeds as much as 1,000Mbps. Fiber is at all times on the prime of residence web want lists, however Alaska’s terrain and distant areas make it a difficult place to construct in depth fiber networks.

The best way to discover web offers and promotions in Alaska

One of the best web offers and prime promotions in Alaska rely on what reductions can be found throughout a given time. Most offers are short-lived, however we glance incessantly for the most recent provides. 

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

For a extra in depth listing of promos, take a look at our information on the most effective web offers.

How briskly is Alaska’s broadband?

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

Quick web will be exhausting to return by within the Final Frontier. About 100% of Alaska houses can entry web speeds of no less than 100Mbps, in keeping 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 wish to do some homework about the place to land. Your finest wager for gig speeds shall be within the greater cities.

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

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

What’s a great web velocity?

Most web connection plans can now deal with fundamental productiveness and communication duties. If you happen to’re searching for 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 functions, in keeping with the FCC. Notice that these are solely pointers and that web velocity, service and efficiency fluctuate by connection kind, supplier and tackle.

For extra data, confer with our information on how a lot web velocity you really want.

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you sort out the fundamentals: looking the web, sending and receiving e 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 ample 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 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 most effective web suppliers in Alaska

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the most recent 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 method? For starters, we faucet right into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and velocity data that attracts from our personal historic ISP information, accomplice information 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 examine our information and guarantee we take into account 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 have a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to judge how blissful clients are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent adjustments; all data supplied is correct as of publication. 

As soon as now we have 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 price, 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 take into account real-world velocity information from sources like Ookla and FCC reviews. (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 numerous challenges to the enlargement of high-speed and reasonably priced 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 carry fiber-based wired connections to distant communities can be notable. In December 2023, GCI related over 4-thousand Alaskans to entry speeds of as much as 2.5Gigs via its Aleutians Fiber Venture. 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 stuck 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 prime speeds of two,500Mbps for $190 a month.

Web in Alaska FAQs