Local Anchorage phone utility (leasing, house, prices)

[rppearso]

Hello, does anyone know who the official anchorage phone utility is. GCI is way expensive and all I need is basic phone service for about 20$. I heard its AT&T/Alascom but you dont hear much about them or hear of anyone that has local phone service with them, I am tired of GCI and want to swtich to something else but dont want something that is akin to a magic jack for phone service, I want a real land line but am tired of being extorted for it. I know MTA has basic phone for like 20$ with like 7 cents a min in state long distance which is exactly what I need.

[scifi_chris]

The ILEC (Official local phone utility) in Anchorage is ACS ([url=http://www.acsalaska.com]). GCI and AT&T are CLEC's (Local competitors). ACS, GCI, and AT&T all provide local phone service in the Anchorage area. I can't seem to find ACS's prices listed so you would have to contact them directly for pricing (seems fishy to me) but AT&T charges $12.05 for the most basic local dial-tone ([url=http://www.attalascom.com/home/local/anchorage_local.html]) and GCI charges $9.40 for the same service ([url=http://www.gci.com/forhome/calling/loc_anc.htm]). Any additional features will cost a bit more depending on what you want/need. Looking at their sites, GCI seems to be MUCH cheaper then AT&T. I personally have GCI service and have never had any issues...

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by scifi_chris

The ILEC (Official local phone utility) in Anchorage is ACS ([url=http://www.acsalaska.com]). GCI and AT&T are CLEC's (Local competitors). ACS, GCI, and AT&T all provide local phone service in the Anchorage area.

ILEC = Incumbant Local Exchange Carrier

An ILEC is usually the original (monoply) local telco, and at least to begin with is the one that actually owns and operates a switching system and has cable to every house and to every business.

CLEC = Competitive Local Exchange Carrier

A CLEC is a newer company that has been allowed to compete with the ILEC at least originally by leasing large blocks of lines and then reselling them to customers. Some CLECs by now may themselves own physical plant, so the distinction in that respect may or may not exist.

IXC = Inter-Exchange Carrier

Originally there were LEC and IXC companies. A LEC was the local exchange carrier (providing dial tone and the ability to call within a local area), the IXC was a long distance carrier, connecting between LECs.

Today almost every telco operates at least some equipment, and also leases facilities from others. They almost all provide both long distance and local service if allowed to by regulations.

[rppearso]

Originally Posted by scifi_chris

The ILEC (Official local phone utility) in Anchorage is ACS ([url=http://www.acsalaska.com]). GCI and AT&T are CLEC's (Local competitors). ACS, GCI, and AT&T all provide local phone service in the Anchorage area. I can't seem to find ACS's prices listed so you would have to contact them directly for pricing (seems fishy to me) but AT&T charges $12.05 for the most basic local dial-tone ([url=http://www.attalascom.com/home/local/anchorage_local.html]) and GCI charges $9.40 for the same service ([url=http://www.gci.com/forhome/calling/loc_anc.htm]). Any additional features will cost a bit more depending on what you want/need. Looking at their sites, GCI seems to be MUCH cheaper then AT&T. I personally have GCI service and have never had any issues...

I am guessing thoes do not include 14 cents a min in/out of state long distance, but if they did I would definitly get that. The most basic might be 10$ but as soon as ANYTHING is added it sky rockets. We are considering getting rid of cable and switching internet to clearwire because we are tired of making GCI rich when they should be regulated.