Wireless Initiatives

GCI mobile data speeds in Anchorage outpace other major cities

NYC ranked as fastest mobile city, but GCI’s Anchorage network outperforms with 2x faster speeds

ANCHORAGE, Alaska— GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications provider, voiced its objection to a recent report by RootMetrics ranking New York City as the fastest mobile city in the country with an aggregate median download speed of 46.3 mbps. GCI’s wireless network in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, offers 2 times faster speeds with an average speed of 114.81 mbps based on 2020 drive tests.

“GCI’s speeds in Anchorage are more than twice as fast as those in New York City,” emphasized GCI Chief Communications Officer Heather Handyside. “As Alaskans, we’re used to being excluded in nationwide comparison. Happens all the time. Perhaps that’s why Anchorage wasn’t listed in this report and Alaska wasn’t even included on the Rootmetrics U.S. map. But we want to set the record straight – we’re on the map and our speeds stack up.”

In the spirit of setting the record straight, Handyside helpfully offered an accurate map of the United States that includes Alaska and Hawaii.

“I get it,” said Handyside. “IKEA won’t ship furniture to Alaska. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s. It took a community-wide lobbying effort to get an Olive Garden in Anchorage. But GCI has worked hard to make sure our Anchorage wireless network is one of the fastest in the nation—and we have succeeded. Even if our friends in the Lower 48 sometimes forget about us.”

GCI launched Alaska’s first 5G network in Anchorage in 2020 and is planning 5G launches in other Alaska communities this year. A leader in connectivity, GCI also launched Alaska’s first 1GIG service in 2017 and now provides access to 1GIG speeds to more than 77% of all Alaskans—ranking fourth in the nation according to data collected by industry watchdog group Broadband Now. And soon even far-flung communities like Nome, Kotzebue, Dutch Harbor and Unalaska will have 1GIG speeds. Maps of those communities available upon request.

About GCI

Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $3 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.

*Speeds based on download speeds in September 2020 drive tests in the Anchorage Bowl, excluding Elmendorf, JBER, Ft. Richardson.