Can you get cell phone service in Alaska?

Question

Can you get verizon cell phone service in alaska? or on a cruise ship for that matter?

Answer 1

well if you paid for your network to follow you and test it out for you

lol

can u hear me now?

lol

good!

Answer 2

Although Verizon does not operate up here they partner with local providers to provide service in the main cities and towns and along the major highways. Cruise ship coverage depends on where the ship is and how close to a cell tower it may be.

Answer 3

Alaska has cell phone coverage in most of the larger cities and the road system from Anchorage to Fairbanks, Fairbanks to Tok, Tok to GlennAllen, and GlennAllen to Anchorage.  You can expect lots of blind spots.  The equipment is not top notch and and due to power limitations not all features found in the lower 48 will work.  ACS and CellularOne are in Alaska.

Once your cell phone contacts a tower for the first time it enters a 'stack'.  In some places the tower's stack can be as small as 1,000 customers.  If you do not send or recived a call in 24 hours you can be bummped out of the stack - you cell phone will show service, but, anyone calling you goes right to voice mail.  Might take a day or two for the voice message to register.

Most people naturally move between towers and this automatically enters you into the top of the service stack.  If you stay in one place for more than 24 hours and do not use the cell phone - you fall to the bottom of the stack and then get bumped.  You solve this by turning your cell phone off, then back on after 30 seconds, each morning.

This stack isssue isn't so big in the winter - but - come summer with all the part time workers and tourists carrying lots and lots of cell phones - it happens.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

If you have national coverage, are using a land cellphone tower (usually up to about 5 miles from shore), then you should have coverage at no extra cost.    Alaska is part of the United States, not international like if you were in Canada or Russia.

BEWARE!!!!!  Cruise ships have their own towers and when you are out at sea, several hundred miles away from land, you WILL be using their towers.  They can charge up to about $7.00 a minute or more.

To be sure, check with your service provider.