Internet Service Providers Keep Alaska Wired.

• Author: Smith, Downell

Whether you live in Bush Alaska or one of Alaska's largest cities, there's technology available to help you connect to the World Wide Web.

Alaskans embrace the Web with the fervor of sourdoughs seeking midwinter sun in Kauai. Like the allure of the islands, the Internet relieves isolation through bomber surf sites and unfettered opportunity.

Whether running a business, ordering dry goods or keeping in touch with family, Alaskans quickly bound to the front of the pack in terms of per capita online use. As a result, urban centers like Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks have plentiful bandwidth and Internet service choices.

The cost of bandwidth keeps many rural areas out of the loop, but most Internet service providers hope to incorporate those areas through new technologies that improve the breadth and depth of service.

Generally, providers offer everything from basic Internet service to Web page design and hosting. When providing access, ISPs rely mainly on dial-up, digital subscriber line (DSL) and/or cable modem technologies.

Dial-up service relies on phone lines for data transmission and uses modems to translate analog transmissions to digital form. DSL technology also uses phone lines, but it transmits data in digital form, which allows for a much wider bandwidth. Not only does it work faster, but it can also transfer digital and analog data concurrently, which allows telephone and Internet use at the same time.

Cable modem service avoids telephone lines altogether by tapping into local cable TV lines. Using it does not affect cable television service.

Major providers like GCI.net, ACS Internet, Chugach.net and MTA Solutions battle for the bulk of market share by using a mix of these products, but smaller ISPs fill the gap.

Take nome.net as a case in point. One of two ISPs in Northwestern Alaska, nome.net offers 56k dialup service for $30 a month. It also provides limited digital subscriber line services to businesses and other entities.

"I am strongly looking forward to low-price satellite technology that would allow me to resell cheap, but reliable bandwidth," said I. Cameron, nome.net's system administrator. "Most customers are looking for a reliable connection to the Internet at a low price. Communications are a real luxury in the Bush."

Despite financial and technological limitations, many rural residents use small ISPs like nome.net or major providers like GCI, which provides Internet services to dozens of rural areas like Pilot Point and Deadhorse. The GCI 700 Rural Internet Access plan costs $19.99 a month for customers with GCI long-distance phone service and $24.99 for those without long-distance service. Since the plan charges 10 cents a minute for online time, the total bill depends on Web use.

Chances are, many people in areas around...