3 Best Internet Providers in Barrow, AK

Compare Providers Ranked by Coverage, Speed, and Customer Ratings

Above are the top 4 providers in Barrow, AK for most people based on high speed internet coverage, speeds, and customer reviews. Click below to see all providers in your city.

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Speed and technology may vary by address for all providers. Please note we may have a financial relationship with some of the providers above, which does not impact the customer ratings displayed. Customer ratings listed above are national ratings, local Barrow ratings may vary and are shown below.

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Who is the Best Internet Provider in Barrow, AK?

Alaska Communications is the highest-rated internet provider in Barrow based on 20 Alaska customer reviews, and Alaska Communications has the highest rating nationwide. The provider information above and the information immediately below can help you decide. Compare provider ratings and review counts above. The chart and table below show average customer ratings from customers in Barrow, Alaska, and customers throughout the country.

Top Rated Internet Providers in Barrow

Local, State, and National Ratings for all Barrow Internet Providers

Based on 20 reviews from Alaska internet customers, Alaska Communications is the best internet service provider for Barrow residents. Alaska Communications was rated at an average of 4.00 out of 5 in our report for overall customer satisfaction. GCI wins for second-place in Alaska, with 2.89 out of 5 stars and 100.0% coverage in Barrow.

At a national level, based on 48 national reviews for any of the providers listed above, Alaska Communications is rated higher than any other provider, with a rating of 4.00 out of 5.

Who is the Fastest Internet Provider in Barrow?

According to unbiased feedback from real internet customers in the city, they reported being happiest with speeds provided by Alaska Communications. On the other hand, based on data provided by the internet providers to the FCC, GCI should have faster speeds at a local level. While we typically put more weight on real-world customer ratings, we display both satisfaction and technical maximum information for customers to decide for themselves.

Data Reported to FCC by ISPs: Average Maximum Available in Barrow

	ISP / Tech Type	Max Advertised Speed
	GCI	2,500 Mbps
	Astac.Net	500 Mbps
	Alaska Communications	200 Mbps
	Viasat	100 Mbps
	HughesNet	25 Mbps

Customer Ratings for Internet Provider Speeds in Barrow

Based on data reported by Barrow ISPs to the FCC, the fastest speeds in the city are available through GCI. The company offers speeds up to 2,500 Mbps in Barrow. Therefore, the average customer can get up to 2,500 Mbps if they're willing to purchase the fastest subscription tier available at their homes.

Additionally, actual customers in the city rated their satisfaction with internet speed highest with Alaska Communications. This indicates Alaska Communications reliably delivers speeds expected by the customer based on the plan they are paying for.

Who is the Cheapest Internet Provider in Barrow?

Alaska customers rate Alaska Communications as the cheapest internet service provider in state. Data comes from customers in the state rating their satisfaction with pricing. This feedback is valuable because it considers price changes and whether the speeds paid for are worth it.

Alaska Communications received a local rating of 3.00 out of 5, which is much lower than the average across all internet providers in the country. GCI is rated in second place for affordability by the company’s Barrow customers with an average price rating of 2.61 out of 5.

The chart and graph below show how customers in Barrow, Alaska, and the United States rated the affordability of their internet service.

Rated Affordability in Barrow

Barrow Internet Health Assessment

ISP Reports evaluates the technological infrastructure across the United States. This includes assessing a grade for ISP providers and infrastructure in the city and setting an index number for the digital connectivity of its residents. You can view the ISP Report Card and the Digital Connectivity Index for Barrow below, including the metrics used and how Barrow compares to the rest of Alaska and nation.

Barrow ISP Report Card: B-

	Metric (hover for details)	Barrow	Alaska	USA
	Fiber Availability Percent The percentage of households in Barrow that have a Fiber internet connection available to their home.	99.73%	26.75%	67.25%
	Average Download SpeedThe maximum download speed most households can get on average. This is measured by availability in a block group and weighted by the population in that area.	2,500 Mbps	2,059 Mbps	3,293 Mbps
	Provider CountThe number of providers available for most people. This is a weighted average by block rather than a total for Barrow.	2.0	2.8	6.8

 

Barrow Digital Connectivity Index: 32 / 100

	Metric (hover for details)	Barrow	Alaska	USA
	Average Household SizeA larger household size in a city indicates that there will be a greater need for bandwidth due to simultaneous usage, multiple devices, and network congestion.	3.1	2.7	2.7
	Work From Home PercentA higher percent of the population working from home indicates bandwidth requirements being more widely needed rather than consolidated to commercial portions of the city.	7%	9%	14%
	Households with DevicesA higher percentage of households with computing devices in the home indicates a higher level of infrastructure needed to support those households.	88%	97%	95%
	Households with InternetA higher percentage of households with internet indicates a higher need for usage and connectivity in people’s daily lives.	67%	91%	90%
	Households with BroadbandA higher percentage of households with a broadband connection (defined as speeds above 25 Mbps) indicates heavier usage needs within these households.	43%	68%	75%
	Broadband Usage vs. AvailabilityThis measures what percentage of households who have a broadband connection to their home actually have an active subscription to that service.	43%	77%	76%

Barrow ISP Report Card & Digital Connectivity Index

The ISP Report Card in Barrow is B-, which is much worse than other cities. The local demand for broadband internet connectivity in Barrow is high with a score of 32 / 100 in our Digital Connectivity Index. This means that internet service providers operating in Barrow have done a poor job meeting the needs of its residents.

The Barrow ISP Report Card evaluates the city on availability and speed metrics compared to other cities in the United States. ISP Infrastructure can vary greatly and on its own isn’t a perfect measure of what a city needs. Please see our ISP Report Card along with the Digital Connectivity Index above to evaluate how well the connectivity demand is met by the existing infrastructure.

67% of Barrow households have an internet connection despite having 100.00% availability. 43% of households have fiber, cable, or DSL, 13% have satellite, 0% are still on dial-up, and 4% of households have internet but don’t pay for a subscription because it’s subsidized by the Affordable Connectivity Program.

As you can see in the table above, while 43% of households have a broadband connection such as fiber, cable or DSL available to their home, 43% subscribe to it. A very low number of Barrow residents are taking advantage of the available internet infrastructure.

For more details, please visit our ISP Report Card and Digital Connectivity Index pages.

How do Neighboring Cities Compare to Barrow?

How Much Speed does a Barrow Household Need?

Higher speed is typically preferred, but that comes at a higher price. The average size of a household in Barrow is 3.1, which is larger than the Alaska average of 2.7 and larger than the national average of 2.7. Barrow's average household income is $87,993 which is higher than the Alaska average of $96,207 and higher than the national average of $90,606. Homes with more people living in them and with higher incomes tend to indicate more devices being used more often.

Barrow also has 19% of its population enrolled in school between the 6th grade and college level, this is higher than the Alaska average of 15%. Additionally, 7% of residents work from home, which is lower than the 9% of residents in Alaska who work from home. This and other factors you can see above show us that the community of Barrow has a low need for internet connectivity and speeds.

Compared to the rest of the country, Barrow households are much more technology-disengaged. 88% of households have some sort of computing device, 55% have desktops or laptops in the home, and 88% have smartphones. To see what speeds you are currently getting, please visit our internet speed test tool.

Which Fiber Internet Providers are Available in Barrow?

Which Cable Internet Providers are Available in Barrow?

Which DSL Internet Providers are Available in Barrow?

According to the most recently submitted data by internet service providers to the FCC, there are currently no DSL providers available in Barrow, AK.

Which Fixed Wireless and LTE Internet Providers are Available in Barrow?

According to the most recently submitted data by internet service providers to the FCC, there are currently no fixed wireless providers available in Barrow, AK.

Which ISP Should You Choose in Barrow?

The right ISP for you depends upon your needs, but in general we can make the following suggestions:

• The best all-around internet service provider in Barrow is Alaska Communications.
• The fastest internet provider should be GCI. Considering speed for the money and reliability in speeds, Alaska Communications may be a better choice based on real-world local customer feedback.
• The most affordable internet provider in Barrow is Alaska Communications.
• Viasat, HughesNet, and GCI has the broadest coverage in Barrow, and is most likely to cover your home. To find out exactly what's available at your home, please use our address search tool.

How does Barrow compare to other cities with a similar population?

To see how Barrow stacks up on the national level, it's useful to look at some other cities with similarly sized populations. Below you can see a list of these cities and how they compare to Barrow's B- ISP Report Card and 32 / 100 Digital Connectivity Index.