Internet Service Providers in
Fairbanks, AK

Fairbanksans are accustomed to braving life in the coldest and northernmost metropolitan area of the United States, but that doesn’t mean that they should settle for slow internet. Luckily, residents of the Last Frontier have two fiber internet providers in their area.

The two providers are called Alaska Communications (ACS) and GCI. Though neither option comes cheap, both companies are known for good customer service and superfast speeds.

Of the two, we prefer ACS because it offers truly unlimited data, meaning your internet speeds will never be capped or throttled. ACS also stands out for offering dedicated fiber connections that ensure you won’t have to share the bandwidth you paid for with your neighbors. Plus, ACS’s plans are about $10 cheaper than the competition.

Alaska Communications’ fiber-optic network map covers virtually every neighborhood in Alaska’s Golden Heart, including Fort Wainwright and the University of Alaska, Downtown Fairbanks, Northeast City, Aurora, College, South Fairbanks, and South Van Horn. ACS fiber internet is also available in Chena Ridge, Farmers Loop, Fox, Badger, and North Pole.

Best ACS internet plan for most people in Fairbanks: Fiber 500 for $105.00/mo.

Though we wouldn’t call it cheap, Alaska Communications’ Fiber 500 plan offers users the most bang for your buck. These plans do not require contracts and come with free installation and Wi-Fi equipment. Be sure to check if the company is offering any promotional pricing when you sign up because you might be able to snag a nice discount for the first few months of service.

We love that this plan provides 500Mbps symmetrical internet speeds, letting users upload content at the same rate as they download. That kind of speed should do the trick for just about anyone, including work-from-home professionals, students, gamers, or anyone hoping to stream the final season of Stranger Things in HD.

Everything is more expensive in Alaska. But folks in Fairbanks looking for internet on a budget might be surprised by Hughesnet. Hughesnet’s satellite internet comes with some significant downsides, like data caps and slow-ish speeds, but other affordable options like Verizon 5G Home Internet are not as widely available in the Fairbanks area at this time.

Hughesnet’s coverage map includes the entire U.S., meaning any house with a clear view of the southern sky can receive the signal. This is great news for those who live on the edges of town in places like Ester, the Hills, Pleasant Valley, Two Rivers, Goldstream, Steele Creek, and Moose Creek, and beyond.

The company’s basic 50Mbps plan will run you $50 per month for the first 12 months, before increasing to the regular rate of $75 a month. Keep in mind that a two-year contract is required, so you will end up paying the higher rate for half that time. Installation is free if you choose to lease the equipment, which will cost an additional $15 per month.

Best Hughesnet internet plan in Fairbanks: Select 50Mbps plan for $50.00/mo

We recommend Hughesnet for people on a tight budget with casual internet needs. Hughesnet’s Select plan provides up to 50Mbps download speed and 3Mbps upload speed, which is enough internet bandwidth to power casual streaming, browsing, working, and gaming habits without noticeable slowdown.

We wouldn’t recommend Hughesnet for heavy internet users because it comes with a soft data cap of 100GB. Once users hit the limit, their speeds are reduced to a pitiful 1–3Mbps. For anyone who needs faster speeds or can afford to pay a little more, we’d suggest shopping around for another Fairbanks internet provider.

Another futuristic home internet solution in Fairbanks uses 5 GHz line-of-sight radio technology to transmit signals from towers straight into your home. Companies like Mountain Beam and SPITwSPOTS (don’t ask us what that name means) have their own tower networks ready to connect rural Fairbanksans to the rest of the world.

Mountain Beam (formerly known as FAI5G or Fairbanks 5G) has seven towers in and around Fairbanks, located strategically on Ester Dome, Moose Mountain, Birch Hill, Gilmore Trail, Blackberry Dr, Skyflight Ave, and Johansen Expressway. Anyone with a direct line of sight to one of those towers can get connected. If you’re not sure, step outside and take a look for yourself! We’ll wait.

We prefer Mountain Beam to others because the plans have no contracts or data caps. The mid-tier costs around $100 per month, but don’t expect that to get you fiber-optic speeds. The fastest plan available is only 48Mbps.

The speeds aren’t great, but the generous terms of service and competitive price-point might be more desirable than other direct wireless or satellite services. Mountain Beam is a local Fairbanks company, and customers seem to appreciate the personal touch when it comes to customer service.

Best Mountain Beam internet plan for most Fairbanksans: 24/24 Mbps plan with speeds up to 24Mbps for $90.00/mo.

Mountain Beam’s mid-level plan will be a perfect fit for many Fairbanks locals who value a company that started in the Golden Heart City. Customers are also quick to recommend the service for its reliable internet speeds, even in remote areas.

Importantly, Mountain Beam feels like it has its customers’ best interests in mind. Rather than upsell equipment, the website provides information to empower users to buy and install their own equipment before signing up. Suffice it to say, we’re not used to seeing that type of thing from bigger companies.

Each year thousands of people flock to Fairbanks for a chance to see astral phenomena like the midnight sun and the northern lights. Some of those curious spectators may have even noticed a fast-moving blinking light in the sky. UFO? Nope, it’s just one of Starlink’s thousands of low-orbit satellites that comprise its unique satellite internet network.

Starlink offers satellite internet to a staggering percentage of earth’s landmass, including all of Alaska. And though the Standard plan price of $120 per month may seem steep to those in the Lower 48, it’s actually not bad compared to other internet plans in the 49th State.

Starlink users consistently report speeds on the higher end of the advertised range and, critically, they report lower latency than other satellite internet providers. We like that the company does not impose hard data caps or require contracts for service either.

As is the trend with tech companies, Starlink strives for a simplistic user experience. And it’s actually pretty easy to get the service going! But we’ve heard it may be too simplistic at times and some customers have had difficulty reaching an actual customer service representative when they need support.

Best Starlink plan for most Fairbanks households: Standard plan with speeds from 20–100Mbps for $120.00/mo.

Starlink’s Standard plan is probably the right fit for most Fairbanksians, though the company also offers plans tailored specifically to businesses and travelers. The best part? Any home in Fairbanks can get it. The biggest drawback is the cost of hardware, which can go up to $599.

The good news is that we think 100Mbps should be enough to get the whole family through a long winter, whether they’re playing Apex Legends, keeping up with the latest TikTok trends, or streaming another rerun of Parks and Recreation.