In the arms race of internet speed, GCI pulls ahead

GCI unveiled their new “red” internet in Anchorage’s Rogers Park neighborhood on Wednesday.

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The new system offers internet speeds of up to 1-gigabit-per-second… which is four times faster than anything previously offered in Alaska. GCI company spokesperson David Morris says most current household technology won’t be able to take full advantage of the speed:

“What people can do with that is going to, I think, be determined by the human mind. It’s important to know that just because we have the 1-gig service, availability it actually can outpace the computers you are using; even the cabling that connects things like routers. So, all those will need to be upgraded at some point.”

Morris says as technology improves, the system should be capable of even faster speeds…it’s just a question of when.

So far, GCI’s “red” internet is only available in Rogers Park, but GCI expects to implement it in most of Anchorage by the end of the year. The new system starts at about $175 a month…about $40 more than the next package down.

Morris says GCI is also working to bring 1-gig service to other parts of Alaska, like the Mat-Su, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai/Soldotna, Ketchikan, and Sitka.