Alaska Cellular Network Report
General Alaska Observations: What limited information we have is based more from visitors than locals. Alaska Communication Systems (ACS) has the coverage advantage and provides a good value. Also, their relationship with Verizon Wireless gives them a leg up on mainland roaming. GCI Wireless provides coverage in the largest number of Alaska communities but only with 2G service. They also offer a 3G network available mostly around Anchorage. AT&T serves many areas of the state with their own network and offers good roaming availability. TracFone is available in most inhabited parts of the state. Some towns have only one wireless carrier, many where wireless is the only phone service available.

ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS
Alaska Communications has excellent coverage throughout most of the state. They offer a large number of reasonably-priced plans including both statewide and mainland US Unlimited plans. Excellent Nationwide roaming coverage and a large selection of CDMA phones including Smart phones.

ALASKA DIGITEL
Alaska Digitel has been acquired by GCI Wireless

ALASKA WIRELESS
Alaska Wireless has been acquired by GCI Wireless

ARCTIC SLOPE TELEPHONE ASSOCIATION COOPERATIVE
ASTAC is rapidly rolling out new GSM service across the northern tip of Alaska. Plans are expensive and Long Distance charges are extra. They offer National and Local plans including plans with Unlimited minutes and Lifeline plans. As part of the local telephone cooperative, service is very good and local citizens are becoming very loyal to this new, hometown wireless supplier. They have a moderate selection of phones including Smart phones.

AT&T
AT&T has a large GSM network, but in the west, have a lot less developed spectrum than in the rest of the country. That has improved with AT&T's acquisition of Alltel Wireless in 76 markets in the western US. They converted most former Alltel sites to 3G GSM. Some ex-Alltel customers noticed significant changes in coverage with the loss of CDMA roaming partners. With GSM technology, AT&T roams more readily internationally, but there are areas in the US with no GSM coverage. AT&T's takeover of other cellular networks has improved their service in some areas already, including Alaska. AT&T offers a large selection of GSM phones including the Apple iPhone. Parts of what was the old AT&T Wireless network in the interior west is still not among the best. They still suffer from some coverage 'holes', but they are updating some of these areas. Most improvements will be made in the new markets and are increasing data capacity instead of adding cell sites in older areas. They have added "4G" coverage in a handful of markets and will upgrade most of the network in the near future. In several markets where AT&T operates at 1900 MHz only, we have been disappointed, but not all AT&T 1900 MHz-only markets are equal. AT&T offers a variety of plans including Unlimited minutes and services, and 'calling circle' plans. They have extensive data coverage. One of their greatest assets is also their worst problem: the overwhelming success of the Apple iPhone on the AT&T network. It has overloaded their system resulting in dropped calls, interrupted data and slower service. This situation is improving with the defection of some iPhone users.

Pros: AT&T has a large network and covers much of the nation, usage is transparent whether on- or off-network, good digital and data services, good national plans, "Rollover" for those who can use it, "Unlimited" calling plans available, a very good selection of phones. Improvements in coverage have been substantial in some areas, lacking in others. Excellent international roaming capabilities, and AT&T will now supply the unlock code for all phones, except the iPhone, after 3 to 10 months. Additions of Alltel, Unicel and Centennial network purchases give AT&T substantial rural coverage improvements.

Cons: AT&T plans aren't as generous as some, customers can only access GSM networks which are not as universally available in the US as CDMA, customer service varies from above to below average, some markets have a large number of dropped calls caused by large data users. Some customers who have been transferred from other networks have noticed substantial changes in coverage, mostly while roaming.
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BRISTOL BAY CELLULAR
Bristol Bay covers the upper Aleutian Islands. Plans offer Unlimited minutes but are pricey for just local coverage. They have a small selection of CDMA phones. Starting in May, 2011 Bristol Bay customers are able to roam in Anchorage and the mainland US. You need to submit an application for service, and, until recently, roaming on the Bristol Bay system by other customers was permitted by application only. Lifeline plans are available. In some areas they provide the only cellular service or the only telephone service available.

COPPER VALLEY WIRELESS
Good local coverage serving Valdez, AK and northward. Reasonable price plans with statewide and mainland US roaming included. They have a small selection of CDMA phones, including Android phones, and they offer fixed wireless service and broadband coverage. As part of the local telecommunications co-op, service is above average and bundle discounts are available.

CORDOVA WIRELESS
Cordova is part of the Cordova Telephone Cooperative along the south coast of Alaska, south of Valdez. They have a nice selection of GSM phones including smart phones and the Apple iPhone. They have a number of rate plans including Local, Statewide and National plans, but no Unlimited plan. They have reasonable prices for Local and Statewide service, but rates for National plans start at a high rate. Features like Voice Mail, Nights & Weekends and Mobile-to-Mobile calling are extra. There may not be any other wireless service in the area.

GCI WIRELESS
GCI operates 2 networks. The GSM network serves most communities across the state but offers only 2G service. The CDMA network, formerly operated by Alaska Digitel, covers the more populated areas of the state, mostly around Anchorage, with 3G service. Each network provides good coverage. Plans include Local, Statewide, National, Unlimited and Lifeline service. They have a large selection of phones including Smart phones, but make sure to check for coverage before deciding on a phone model. GCI has a large number of telecommunications services that can benefit users with more complicated needs.

MTA WIRELESS
MTA Wireless is part of the Matanuska telephone association and has good statewide coverage and offers a number of Statewide, National, Prepaid and Unlimited plans starting as low as $10 per month. Their plans are average priced. They have a small selection of CDMA phones including Smart phones. As part of the local telephone cooperative their customer service is above average.

OTZ CELLULAR
This is the cellular division of the OTZ Telephone Cooperative in Kotzebue, AK in the northwest part of the state. They have several plans and they include Local Unlimited minutes with various levels of Roaming. Rates are reasonable and include Unlimited roaming in coastal towns across the northern part of the state, but not areas to the south. They have a moderate choice of phones and some features, like Caller ID, are charged extra. Otz does not require service contracts and offer bundles with their other communication services.

TELALASKA CELLULAR
Telalaska serves several small Alaska communities with wireless and other communications products, with locations spread widely across the state, from Nome, Fort Yukon and Seward, to the end of the Aleutian Islands. Their GSM wireless network serves most of those communities with plans that are very affordable and include Local, Unlimited, Nationwide, Prepaid and LifeLine plans. Their Prepaid plans are overpriced but may be useful for visitors. They have a small but useful selection of GSM phones including Smart phones. Telalaska is the only wireless provider in many of their communities.

TRACFONE
Tracfone isn't an actual cellular carrier but is a major supplier of wireless phones and offers service in most areas of the state. They are the largest prepaid cellular company and arrange for their phones to use whichever wireless carrier is available in a given geographic area. As a result, Tracfone actually has more included roaming coverage available than perhaps any other single company. Their price points start below $9 a month and offer all the advantages of prepaid services. They also feature monthly plans and offer promotions with bonus minutes, and plans with 365-day expiration. Their service is mostly limited to Voice and Text but does support data use of some of their phones. They offer the option of having the charges deducted from your credit card or checking account automatically, eliminating the need to renew on an exact expiration date. TracFone offers Free international calls to about 60 countries by calling a special access number, and with their International Neighbors features, they provide a local number in Mexico or Canada for incoming calls from those countries at local rates for both callers. Tracfone offers additional plan options, including Unlimited plans, through NET10.
Pros: Coverage and Local service is available virtually everywhere in the US, good price plans with no roaming or long distance charges, Local numbers in all markets, included Long Distance calling to 60 countries.
Cons: They have a small selection of phones, coverage is determined by the phone model (CDMA or GSM) which may limit your roaming coverage or phone selection, you can only use one of their phones, no roaming outside the US.
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