English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Anchorage, AK

Why earthquakes are felt differently in the US

While you may think quakes are a western US problem, some of the largest temblors in US history have happened in the East.

ANCHORAGE — A magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook Anchorage, Alaska, just after midnight local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake was centered on the Kenai Peninsula, some 33 miles south of Anchorage.

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Shaking from the earthquake has been reported in Anchorage and surrounding communities, but so far no damage has been reported. Officials said there is no threat of a tsunami.

This comes after several smaller quakes were recorded on the Alaskan Peninsula Monday evening.

Southern Alaska is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area around the Pacific Ocean that is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, according to the USGS.

Check this page and download the free FOX Weather app for updates on this developing story.

What is the best internet provider in Anchorage?

Looking for reliable internet in Anchorage? Our broadband experts have done the homework so you don't have to. GCI is CNET's top pick of the best internet service providers in Anchorage. With speeds reaching up to 2,500Mbps and a wired connection that less prone to failure from Alaska's notorious weather conditions, GCI offers the most dependable service in the area.

If you're looking for a cheaper option, Borealis Broadband is your next best bet. It offers a more wallet-friendly alternative at $40 per month. While you won't get the same high speeds as GCI, their fixed wireless service delivers reasonable performance for everyday internet needs. For those in areas with limited options, Starlink satellite internet is worth considering, though be prepared for the $120 monthly fee and an upfront equipment cost of $499.

Best internet in Anchorage, Alaska

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Anchorage

Cheap internet options in Anchorage

Anchorage has very few cheap internet options. Borealis Broadband is the only provider that offers plans below $50, and for that price, you’ll have to deal with extremely slow speeds. That’s better than the choices available in Juneau, which has no internet plans for under $50.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Anchorage

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Anchorage depend on what discounts are available at the time you're searching. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Anchorage internet providers, such as Viasat, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including GCI, Borealis Broadband and Starlink, run the same standard pricing year-round.

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

How fast is Anchorage broadband?

Out of the top 100 most populated cities in the US, Anchorage has the 79th fastest speeds, according to Ookla’s speed test data. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Residents receive a median of 250Mbps download and 32Mbps upload speeds. The fastest internet provider in Anchorage is GCI, delivering median download speeds of 293Mbps.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Anchorage

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. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

In addition, we go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We evaluate sources like the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.

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

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When it comes to selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speed as well as accounting for real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Anchorage?

There are many wonderful things about living in Anchorage, but good internet is not one of them. The best provider we found is GCI, the only wired connection widely available in the city. After that, there’s a significant dropoff. Starlink provides decent speeds but requires a $499 satellite dish purchase, and the monthly price is still expensive at $120. Borealis Broadband offers the cheapest internet plans in Anchorage but is too slow for streaming or videoconferencing.

Internet providers in Anchorage FAQs

The carpenters union in Alaska plans to soon start building a $13 million training center in Anchorage to help overcome a shortage of carpenters and builders.

The Anchorage Carpenters Training Center will rise off the Glenn Highway near Boniface Parkway, at an empty lot at what is now 5800 Boundary Ave.

It’s an easily visible spot that could help attract attention to a profession that pays well but is too often overlooked for college careers and office jobs, union representatives said.

“Our goal is to develop carpenters and pile drivers that put down roots in Alaska, and can afford to live here and retire comfortably here,” said Chris Dimond, lead representative for Alaska for the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters. “It’s hard work, you’re outside working in the elements all year, but it comes with great rewards, like having health insurance covering you and your spouse and kids.”

The 32,000-square-foot center will replace the union’s aging, smaller training center in South Anchorage, off King Street near Costco.

A fire at the older center destroyed a couple of buildings a few years ago, including the now boarded-up facility where pile driver apprentices once took classes.

Shipping containers today provide a makeshift classroom for welding, but they leak when it rains or snow melts, union representatives said.

The existing main training area is also too small to handle large groups of apprentices.

Carpentry and pile driving lessons typically take place outside in the elements, and apprentices often waste a chunk of their learning time shoveling snow.

On a recent weekday in a snow-cleared area at the existing training center, a handsaw whined and hammers banged as two groups of several pile driver apprentices made mock bridge piers and decks, creating forms similar to those made for concrete bridges on Alaska highways.

“They’re essentially building a really complex Jell-O mold,” Dimond said.

Instruction at the new building will take place indoors, union representatives said.

“It’s really going to be a game-changer for us,” Josh Bolton, training coordinator for the Western States Carpenters Training Fund for Alaska, said of the new facility.

The new building will be much larger than the existing one, providing bigger classroom sizes and more space overall, he said.

It will include a properly vented welding lab, said Bolton, who runs the two training centers in Alaska, including the other in Fairbanks. It will house the union hall, which today exists at a separate address in Anchorage from the training center.

Construction on the new training center is expected to start as early as May, union representatives said. Plans call for the building to be ready for move-in by next spring.

It will come just in time.

Construction was the state’s fastest-growing industry last year, Alaska economists reported in December. Average wage increases in the field also led other industries, jumping to $93,472, up 10% from $84,870 in 2022.

The construction industry had experienced a shortage of workers that helped lead to the higher pay, Dimond said.

“It was a multifaceted thing,” he said. “Older carpenters were retiring out, guys were moving to new careers, Seattle boomed during that time, so we lost workers.”

There was also less construction for several years, he said.

But increased activity more recently, some of it driven by federal spending, has helped boost the need for carpenters again.

Alaska has 127 carpenter and pile driver apprentices statewide, Bolton said. They take classes four weeks annually, and work on construction jobs the rest of the year.

The jobs pay first-year apprentices $26-$30 an hour, and they come with health, retirement and other benefits. The apprentices also get regular wage increases as they accumulate hours.

After four years, they become journeymen able to work anywhere.

“Their 401(k) contribution alone is astronomical,” said Drew Erickson, an instructor. The total retirement package is worth a little over $17 an hour, union representatives said.

Some apprentices also collect large amounts of overtime, adding to their income, he said.

Bolton said there’s no limit to how many carpenters the new facility will be able to handle over a year’s time.

That could help prepare the workforce for rapid growth, such as if the $44 billion Alaska LNG project can be built, he said.

The carpenters and pile drivers wouldn’t work on the 800-mile pipeline, but there’d be work for support facilities. The project would also support broad economic improvement, driving demand for new commercial and residential construction, he said.

“All of our contractors that we speak with are telling us that they’ve got work on the books for the next couple years, and they’re going to need people,” Bolton said. “So our goal, as far as the apprenticeship program goes, is going to be to grow in the numbers and make sure they have the workforce they need.”

If you’re allergic to birch trees, you probably already know: Tree pollen counts in Anchorage are off the charts at the moment.

“If patients think the pollen is high, yes, it’s absolutely high,” said Bryan Farthing, the director of clinical services and a nationally certified pollen counter at the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska.

The clinic tracks pollen at two rooftop stations, one at Providence Alaska Medical Center and the other at King Street Brewing in South Anchorage.

On Wednesday, Farthing recorded the highest pollen count in five years, an off-the-charts 963 grains per cubic meter. By comparison, a high pollen count is anything over 90. The count soared to 1,280 as of Thursday.

A trickle that became a stream of patients have been coming to his clinic complaining of allergies, Farthing said. Earlier in the season, what look like allergy symptoms tend to actually be irritation from the dust and particulates of breakup season.

But as of a few days ago, tree allergies are in full force, he said.

According to an air quality pollen and mold calendar produced by the city health department, the last half of May is typically the peak time for birch, willow and cottonwood pollens in Anchorage, though high readings have popped up earlier in the month as they are now. Other types of tree pollens peak later in the summer, along with grass, weeds and mold.

Anywhere from 10% to 20% of the population suffers from allergic rhinitis, or “hay fever,” according to the health department.

Anchorage may have among the highest pollen counts in the world, but it doesn’t compare with Fairbanks.

On May 17, 2020, a Fairbanks allergy clinic recorded a pollen count of 7,045 during one of the city’s famously abrupt green-ups, setting a world record and leaving a sheen of yellow pollen particles on the Tanana River, Alaska Public Media reported at the time.