GCI completes gigabit network rollout in Anchorage

GCI has completed the buildout of its 1 Gbps network in Anchorage, Alaska, setting the stage for a larger deployment throughout its service territory.

With this network build complete, GCI said will be able to reach 40 percent of Alaska's 736,732 residents with the premium broadband service.

Covering a 1.2 million-acre area, the service provide began offering its high-speed service, 1 GIG red to consumers and businesses in Anchorage in September.

Anchorage is only one stop on its 1 Gbps journey.

The service provider said it will offer the 1 Gbps service via its existing cable plant in areas such as Wasilla and Palmer in January 2016, followed by Juneau and Fairbanks.

GCI expects that over half of Alaska's population will be able to access its 1 Gbps service before the end of the summer 2016.

Eligible customers will be equipped with a new cable modem for free to get speeds up to 1 Gbps and 500 Mbps. Complementing the speed increase, GCI said it is offering customers the ability for multiple users in a home or business to download at the same time without experiencing noticeably decreased download speeds.

For more:
- see the release

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