Best Internet Providers in Alaska

Alaska is a beautiful state with rugged pure magnificence, nationwide parks and recent seafood. Nevertheless, 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 choosing an internet service provider in Alaska. The alternatives differ between fiber, fastened wi-fi, DSL and satellite, In keeping with our CNET consultants, GCI is the highest choose for most people within the state — if it is obtainable in your space.

What’s the finest web supplier in Alaska?

CNET’s choose for the perfect 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.

In the event 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.

Virtually any alternative of web supplier in Alaska will include some compromises, whether or not in velocity, 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 possibility for some. Although the broadband scene could sound a bit of 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 knowledge

Web breakdown by metropolis in Alaska

It’s arduous 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 equivalent to web connection varieties, most speeds, most cost-effective suppliers and extra. Verify again later in the event you don’t discover the 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 received’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 obtainable on this northern state. Which means no bundling bargains with the likes of 5G home internet service from Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet. In case your month-to-month web invoice is below $100 for an honest velocity degree, then you definately’re doing fairly properly in Alaska. GCI and Alaska Communications have plans for below 100, however speeds will differ 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 advanced 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’ll get with cable or fiber. DSL may be serviceable when there are few different choices. FCC knowledge means that 100% of residents can entry broadband speeds, outlined as not less than 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up. That quantity consists of the attain of satellite tv for pc web, which is not an incredible resolution for everybody because 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 shows solely about 14% of residents can entry fiber. If we have a look at gig speeds and better, that drops to simply about 11%. What little fiber entry there’s 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 all the time on the prime of residence 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 most effective 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 ceaselessly for the newest provides. 

Massive suppliers run the identical customary 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, try our information on the best internet deals.

How briskly is Alaska’s broadband?

In relation to home internet, Alaska is available in at 49 for Ookla’s Q4 2023 Speedtest.net ranking of web speeds for the 50 states and Washington, DC. Alaska ranks on the backside of the checklist with a median obtain velocity of 119Mbps. For reference, the US’s general velocity is at 262Mbps. That is fairly a distinction. Ookla lists GCI as Alaska’s quickest supplier, with a good median obtain velocity of 284Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the identical mother or father firm as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Quick web may be arduous to return by within the Final Frontier. About 100% of Alaska properties can entry web speeds of not less than 100Mbps, according to 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 need to do some homework about the place to land. Your finest guess for gig speeds will likely be within the greater cities.

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

With restricted choices, switching to a sooner supplier shouldn’t be all the time possible. You’ll be able to profit from your web connection by following these steps to speed up your Wi-Fi.   

What’s web velocity?

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 may have a greater expertise with a extra sturdy connection. Here is an summary of the beneficial minimal obtain speeds for numerous purposes, according to the FCC. Word that these are solely tips and that web velocity, service and efficiency differ by connection kind, supplier and handle.

For extra data, confer with our information on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you deal with the fundamentals: shopping 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 person 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 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 perfect web suppliers in Alaska

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the newest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, 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 velocity 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 examine 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 guage how completely satisfied 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 got this localized data, we ask three primary questions: 

• Does the supplier supply entry to fairly quick web speeds? 
• Do clients get first rate worth for what they’re paying? 
• Are clients 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 deciding on the most cost effective web service, we search for the plans with the bottom month-to-month payment, though we additionally consider issues like value will increase, tools 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 knowledge from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To discover our course of in additional depth, go to our how we test ISPs web page.

What is the remaining phrase on web suppliers in Alaska?

Alaska poses a variety of challenges to the growth of high-speed and reasonably priced broadband. The terrain may be unforgiving, the climate may be excessive and plenty of communities are in distant areas. Luckily, there was a concentrate on broadband growth, particularly in these distant areas. Cordova Telecom Cooperative announced 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 venture may take 5 years to finish. Alaska can even obtain $100 million in US Department 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 bring fiber-based wired connections to remote communities is also notable. In December 2023, GCI related over 4-thousand Alaskans to entry speeds of as much as 2.5Gigs by its Aleutians Fiber Venture. 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 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