Cheap, prepaid cellphones in Alaska? (Anchorage, Fairbanks: buy, live, area code)

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Spouse & I are recreating a trip we took up the Alcan to Alaska over 20 years ago...before cellphones. Here in Washington, we don't use smartphones, we just purchase Tracfone $20 flip phones from Walmart, then buy prepaid minutes for talk & text, no internet.

The Tracfone coverage map shows no coverage in Alaska...do you have something similar, & if so, what stores can we buy it at in Alaska? I tried googling for info., but no luck. Thanks.

[royalabran]

Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia

Spouse & I are recreating a trip we took up the Alcan to Alaska over 20 years ago...before cellphones. Here in Washington, we don't use smartphones, we just purchase Tracfone $20 flip phones from Walmart, then buy prepaid minutes for talk & text, no internet.

The Tracfone coverage map shows no coverage in Alaska...do you have something similar, & if so, what stores can we buy it at in Alaska? I tried googling for info., but no luck. Thanks.

Hi Marsha , I'm assuming you're pretty frugal like me.


My wife and I have been using tracfones in Alaska for the last ten years and keep rolling over the minutes.
They work well here. Bought ours at Walmart and later ordered slightly upgraded replacements from tracfone's website. If you order specifically for Alaska our area code is (907)


I think yours will work OK at least next to major towns. Many spots on the ALCAN (Alaska - Canada) highway have no coverage. My tracfone did not get anything when I drove through Canada and is spotty between cities in Alaska. I think tracfone is actually AT&T?


So I think you will get coverage but you could call tracfone customer service and ask or if you fly up pick another cheap one in Anchorage or Fairbanks.


I have actually switched to an Iphone because I have free service and a phone through work.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Thanks, I believe you answered my question. Down here, at least where we live, Tracfone uses Verizon towers, so we'll just buy a phone up there (in Alaska) if ours don't work.

Not too worried...we did the ALCAN trip before with no phone & had no issues.

FYI, my daughter & spouse were traveling in Canada recently & both have IPhones with AT&T & she said they worked fine there.