Best Internet Providers in Juneau, Alaska

What is the best internet provider in Juneau?

GCI is the best internet provider in Juneau. The service offers speeds up to 2,500Mbps and starts at $85 per month. It’s the only wired connection in the city, so it’s less susceptible to weather outages than other providers’ services, but you have to deal with the data caps on most plans.

If you want lower prices (and higher data caps), the cheapest network in Juneau is SnowCloud, which offers plans starting at $65 per month for 100Mbps speeds. Starlink’s satellite network is another good option, but you have to pay $599 upfront for the equipment.

Best Internet in Juneau, Alaska

Source: CNET analysis of provider profiles

Other available internet providers in Juneau

• Alaska Communications Corporation: While Alaska Communications technically offers fiber optic service at several addresses in Juneau, it is primarily a DSL provider. Speeds depend on your specific address, but the highest I’ve seen is 75Mbps for $100 per month. In most areas, you’ll need to pay $95 to get 15-30Mbps speeds – a very high price for such low speeds. That said, Alaska Communications is one of the few ISPs in Juneau that offers unlimited data on all of its plans, so it’s worth a look.
• Hughes Network: Like Starlink, HughesNet is your other option for satellite internet in Juneau. You don’t have to pay huge upfront equipment costs — HughesNet charges $14 a month for equipment — but the situation is much worse in other areas. Speeds range from 15Mbps to 50Mbps, but the bigger concern for most people is data caps. 15GB is priced at $50 and 200GB is priced at $150. Once you hit these limits, HughesNet will slow down your speeds to 1 to 3 Mbps for the rest of the month, making things like streaming TV or video conferencing unfeasible.

Cheap internet options in Juneau

There aren’t many truly “cheap” internet options in Juneau. The lowest starting price comes from HughesNet, which offers two plans for $50 per month (at least the first year), but adds an additional $14 for equipment. SnowCloud is the cheaper all-inclusive provider, with plans starting at $65 for 100Mbps speeds and no equipment fees.

Source: CNET analysis of provider profiles

How to Find Juneau’s Online Deals and Promotions

Juneau’s best online deals and top promotions depend on the discounts available during that time period. Most offers are short-lived, but we’re often on the lookout for the latest deals.

Juno Internet providers such as GCI may offer lower promotional prices or streaming add-ons for a limited time. However, many companies, including SnowCloud, Starlink and Alaska Communications, use the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of deals, check out our guide to the best internet deals.

How fast is Juno broadband?

Internet speeds in Juneau are extremely slow compared to cities in the lower 48 states, but pretty good compared to other cities in Alaska. 97% of Juneau residents have access to 250/25Mbps speeds, compared to only 64% statewide. That’s all thanks to GCI; it’s the fastest provider in the state and available almost anywhere in Juneau.

Juneau’s Fastest Internet Packages

Source: CNET analysis of provider profiles

What is a good internet speed?

Most Internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for a network plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming video, or gaming, you’ll get a better experience with a stronger connection. Below is an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications according to the FCC. Please note that these are guidelines only – Internet speeds, service and performance vary based on connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide to understanding the internet speed you really need

• 0 to 5Mbps lets you handle the basics—browse the Internet, send and receive email, and stream low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps provides you with higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should provide enough bandwidth for one user to meet the needs of modern remote working, video streaming, and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one or two users to participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming media, and online gaming. At the same time.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to simultaneously participate in high-bandwidth activities such as video conferencing, streaming media, and online gaming.

CNET How to choose the best internet provider in Juneau

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router, or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? We first researched pricing, availability, and speed information based on our own historical ISP data, provider websites, and map information from the Federal Communications Commission’s FCC.gov.

But it didn’t end there. We went to the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we accounted for every ISP offering service in an area. We will also enter your local address on the provider website to find specific options for residents. We evaluate customer satisfaction with ISP services by looking at sources such as the US Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices may change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of publication time.

Once we have localized information, we ask three main questions:

1. Does the provider offer reasonably fast internet speeds?
2. Are customers getting value for money?
3. Are customers satisfied with their service?

While the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the providers who come closest to a “yes” on these three questions. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for plans with the lowest monthly fees, although we also consider factors like price increases, equipment fees, and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

What’s the final decision on Juno Networks’ vendors?

Compared to the country as a whole, Juneau’s internet situation leaves a lot to be desired. But it’s the difference between apples and oranges – by Alaskan standards, Juneau is doing pretty well. For most people, the best internet provider is GCI, which is the only wired connection in the city. This is the fastest internet in Juneau yet, but it’s expensive and you have to deal with the data caps on most plans. If you’re looking for cheap internet service in Juneau, SnowCloud is your best choice, with plans starting at just $65. Starlink’s satellite network is another reasonably fast option, but requires a $599 upfront purchase of the equipment.

Juno Internet Provider FAQ