Guest Author - Kimi Ross

People traveling to Alaska often wonder if their cell phones will work as they are traveling around the state. The answer, generally speaking, is yes! Within those general guidelines, however, there are some important things to keep in mind.

There are two major providers of cellular service in Alaska, Alaska Communication Systems (ACS) and GCI. Between the two of them, many areas of the state are covered, including major metropolitan areas, the length of most major highway corridors and many regional hubs of Bush Alaska (such as Nome or Barrow). Within these general guidelines, the following information should be kept in mind.

1. Cellular coverage is good in the major metropolitan areas – Juneau, Anchorage and vicinity and Fairbanks. GCI and ACS both provide services in these areas, as well as many smaller companies. Verizon roams on the ACS system, Sprint partners with AK Digitel, and AT&T has good coverage in these areas.

2. Cellular service is line of sight, so there while there are numerous towers along both the Parks and Glenn Highways, there are sections on both highways where signals are weak or where you may not be able to get a signal at all.

3. GCI has begun a major initiative to provide cellular service in Bush Alaska. Currently they are working on implementing service in Western Alaska, focusing on villages in the Seward Peninsula and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. They expect to have cellular service available in all Alaska villages by the end of 2010.

4. Much of the Alaska Highway (especially throughout Canada) is out of range of cellular service, though one will rarely go more than 24 hours without finding a connection point. It is important to keep this in mind as travelers need to be prepared to take care of their own needs in case of a breakdown or other mishap.

5. Features available to cell phone users in the Lower 48 may or may not work in Alaska due to equipment limitations. Expect the basics, not all the bells and whistles.

6. Finally, if you are traveling into the backcountry, whether by ATV, foot, boat or some other means, don’t count on using your cell phone to initiate a rescue! You may find a signal in some places, but more likely will not in most remote areas of the state. For backcountry travel, an iridium satellite phone is recommended. They can be rented from Surveyors Exchange or Accupoint, Inc; both companies have outlets in both Anchorage and Fairbanks.

The following links to company coverage maps may be helpful.

ACS(Alaska Communication Systems)

GCI

AT&T

AK Digitel (partnered with Sprint)

Wireless Advisor provides a list of cellular providers for any zip code that you enter.

Satellite Phone Rental at Surveyors Exchange