GCI Expands 5G Wireless Coverage Along Seward Highway

Less than a year after launching Alaska’s first 5G wireless network, GCI completed 5G upgrades to a wireless tower along the Seward Highway, south of Anchorage, greatly improving mobile data speeds and enhancing voice service between Bird Point and 20 Mile River. This is GCI’s 77th 5G-capable wireless site.

The upgraded site not only provides revolutionary 5G service but also provides a big boost to LTE service in the area. That means GCI customers don’t need a 5G phone to get the benefits of GCI’s next generation network upgrades.

“GCI was the first to bring 5G service to Anchorage, but we haven’t stopped at the city limits,” says GCI Chief Communications Officer Heather Handyside.

“Now that the days are getting a little longer, Alaskans are making summer plans. For Anchorage residents, that means heading south to Girdwood or the Kenai Peninsula to support Alaska’s tourism industry and to fill our freezers with some fresh salmon. The 5G upgrade will not only help GCI customers better-document and share their adventures but will also improve safety along one of Alaska’s most-scenic stretches of highway.”

Each 5G-capable site is outfitted with five radios to utilize GCI’s low-band and mid-band radio spectrum, driving major improvements in speed and coverage, particularly in-building coverage.

Over the past 40 years, GCI has invested more than $3 billion to deliver communications services throughout Alaska. GCI serves more than 200 communities across the state.

For more information about GCI and its 5G network, visit https://www.gci.com/mobile/5g.