General Communication, Inc. (GCI) rolled out Alaska’s first and only 1-gigabit-per-second internet to Anchorage on Wednesday along with increasing Kenai and Soldotna access speeds free of charge.
GCI spokesman David Morris said local ‘red’ customer speeds increased from about 250 milla bits per second to 500 mbps.
Morris: “If you want the 500 you’re going to need to switch out your modem because the current modems are limited to about 300-mega-bits per second. By switching out to a new modem you’ll have access up to 1-giga-bit per second.”
While Kenai and Soldotna do not yet have the 1-gigabit-per-second service, Morris said GCI plans to have the service available here by the end of next year.
Morris suggested that when GCI red customers should speak with sales representatives about what components they are using when they switch out their modem.
Morris: “The speed has grown so quickly and it’s so large that a lot of components may not be able to handle it. That’s where you may want to check with your representative because every individual, every business is going to be a little different.”
He said the increased access speeds are not only aimed at loading internet faster but also allowing more internet devices to access the modem at once without interruption.
GCI continues to work on upgrades to internet and cell towers statewide.