Best Internet Providers in Juneau, Alaska

What is the best Juneau Internet provider?

GCI is the best Internet provider in Juneau. The service offers speeds of up to 2,500 Mbps with prices starting at $90 per month. It’s the only wired connection in town, making it less susceptible to weather outages than services from other providers, but you’ll have to deal with data caps on most plans.

If you want lower prices (and higher data caps), the cheapest internet in Juneau is Snowcloud, which offers plans starting at $65 per month for 200Mbps speeds. Starlink satellite internet is another decent option, but you’ll have to purchase the equipment up front for a fee of $349 and may even have to pay a congestion fee.

Best Internet in Juneau, Alaska

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data

Other Internet Providers Available in Juneau

• Alaska Communications: While it technically offers fiber service at a handful of addresses in Juneau, Alaska Communications is primarily a DSL provider. Speeds depend on your specific address, but the highest I saw was 75 Mbps for $100 a month. In most areas, you’ll be looking at 15-30 Mbps for $95, an extremely high price for such low speeds. That being said, Alaska Communications is one of the few ISPs in Juneau that includes unlimited data with all of their plans, so it’s worth checking out.
• Hughesnet: Along with Starlink, Hughesnet is your other option for satellite Internet in Juneau. You won’t have to pay a huge upfront equipment cost: Hughesnet charges $14 monthly for equipment, but it’s significantly worse in every other area. Speeds range from 15Mbps to 50Mbps, but of more concern to most people are the data caps. Prices start at $50 for 15 GB and go up to $150 for 200 GB. After reaching these limits, Hughesnet slows your speed to 1 to 3Mbps for the rest of the month, making things like TV streaming or video conferencing infeasible.

Cheap Internet Options in Juneau

There aren’t many truly “cheap” internet options in Juneau. The lowest starting price comes from Hughesnet, which offers two plans for $50 a month (at least in the first year), but adds an extra $14 for equipment. Snowcloud is the cheapest provider, with plans starting at $65 for 200Mbps speeds and no equipment fees.

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data

How to Find Internet Deals and Promotions in Juneau

The best internet deals and top promotions in Juneau depend on what discounts are available during that time period. Most deals are short-lived, but we frequently look for the latest deals.

Juneau Internet providers, like GCI, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, many, including SnowCloud, Starlink, and Alaska Communications, have the same standard prices year-round.

For a more extensive list of deals, check out our guide to the best online deals.

How fast is Juneau Broadband?

Internet in Juneau is extremely slow compared to cities in the lower 48, but stacks up well compared to other Alaska cities. 97% of Juneau residents have access to 250/25Mbps speeds, compared to just 75% statewide. That’s entirely thanks to GCI; It is the fastest provider in the state, and is available virtually everywhere in Juneau.

The Fastest Internet Plans in Juneau

Source: CNET analysis of supplier data

What is a good Internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, video streaming, or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various apps, According to the FCC. Please note that these are only guidelines, and Internet speed, service, and performance vary by connection type, provider, and address.

For more information, check out our guide on how much internet speed you really need

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you tackle the basics: surfing the Internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality videos.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give a user enough bandwidth to meet the demands of modern teleworking, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming. simultaneously.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming, and online gaming simultaneously.

How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Juneau

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen tool, it’s not practical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? We begin by researching pricing, availability, and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, carrier sites, and Federal Communications Commission mapping information. FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC website to check our data and make sure we consider all the ISPs serving an area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power, to gauge how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent change; All information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

Once we have this information located, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast Internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting decent value for what they are paying?
3. Are customers happy with your service?

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest Internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly rate, although we also reach out on things like price increases, equipment rates, and contracts. Choosing the fastest Internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds, and we also take into account real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC Reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

What’s the final word on Internet providers in Juneau?

Compared to the country as a whole, the internet landscape in Juneau leaves a lot to be desired. But that’s apples to oranges: By Alaska standards, Juneau is doing pretty well. The best internet provider for most people is GCI, which is the only wired connection in town. It’s the fastest internet in Juneau, but it’s expensive, and you’ll have to deal with data caps on most plans. If you’re looking for cheap Internet in Juneau, Snowcloud is your best option, with plans starting at just $65. Starlink Satellite Internet is another option for reasonably fast speeds, but it requires an upfront $349 equipment purchase.

Internet Providers in Juneau FAQ