VoIP Providers & Business Phone Companies in Anchorage, AK

Alaska Phone Company, LLC is an Anchorage-based business communications firm that resells and supports the RingCentral cloud calling platform for organizations throughout Alaska. Its main work is helping companies move off traditional on-premise telephone equipment and onto a hosted system delivered over the internet. Its marketing is aimed mostly at small businesses in the state, though it also takes on larger corporate accounts.

As a RingCentral partner, the company sells a unified platform that puts voice calling, text messaging, fax, video meetings and team chat under one subscription. Buyers choose from three tiers, Essentials, Office Standard and Office Premium. The entry plan covers basic calling with voicemail transcription.

The higher plans add team collaboration, unlimited audio conferencing, internet faxing, larger video sessions and, at the top level, automatic call recording. Every tier comes with a local or toll-free number and unlimited domestic calling to the US and Canada, and the monthly toll-free minute allowance grows with each step up.

Services and capabilities

• Hosted cloud phone systems based on RingCentral Office, with over 50 calling features
• Call routing, auto-receptionist and extension configuration
• Business text messaging and internet fax
• Audio conferencing and HD video meetings with screen sharing
• Team chat through Glip, with file sharing and task tools
• Keeping existing business numbers when switching to the cloud
• Sales of IP desk phones and headsets
• User training on phone systems

Hardware and devices

New equipment is optional. Staff can use their own smartphones and computers through RingCentral's free desktop and mobile apps. Clients who prefer dedicated hardware can buy desk, conference and cordless phones from Polycom, Cisco and Yealink. The catalog runs from entry-level units such as the Polycom VVX 150 and Yealink T42S to higher-end models like the Polycom VVX 601 and Cisco 8861. It also lists the Yealink W60P and the Polycom OBi302.

How they work with clients

Most engagements start with a free quote request. Because phones arrive preconfigured and no complex on-site hardware is needed, setup is quick: users can be added in minutes and call flows built without a traditional PBX. The site also has a dedicated phone training section for getting staff comfortable with the new system.

The company stresses business continuity, noting that the service keeps running during outages and disasters. Mobile apps let employees who travel around the state answer calls on a single business number from whatever device they carry. The platform also connects with tools such as Google Drive, Box and Jira.

What sets Alaska Phone Company apart for buyers is the pairing of a locally based Anchorage contact with a large national cloud platform. That suits firms that want an in-state partner to handle their setup, hardware and training instead of dealing directly with a nationwide carrier. Its website does not give a founding date, team biographies or credentials beyond the RingCentral partnership, so buyers who need those details should ask the company directly.

Alcan Electrical & Engineering is a contractor headquartered in Anchorage. Its work covers commercial power, low-voltage technology and business communications. For organizations comparing phone system providers in Alaska, the firm stands out because the same company that handles telephony can also wire the building, run the fiber, and integrate security and audiovisual equipment. Its communications practice has supported voice systems for more than two decades.

Voice and communications services

The company's Communications & VoIP group designs and installs business telephone platforms and unified communications for commercial customers. A system can sit on the customer's premises, be delivered through the cloud, or combine the two in a hybrid setup. That lets buyers choose an architecture that fits their connectivity, budget and control requirements. The leadership roster lists a dedicated Unified Communications Manager, Mike Reilly, which shows that voice is a defined specialty within the larger organization.

Voice quality depends heavily on the network underneath, so Alcan's cabling credentials matter to phone buyers. Its installers hold BICSI certification for copper and fiber work, and the company says it is the only Corning preferred installer in the state. Related offerings include:

• Business phone and VoIP system design and installation
• Unified communications delivered on-premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid
• Structured cabling in copper and fiber
• Video surveillance over IP and door access control
• IP audiovisual for meeting rooms and campuses
• Integration linking power, automation, security and voice systems

How the company works

Alcan presents itself as a single point of accountability for a facility's systems. Clients do not have to coordinate separate electricians, cabling crews and telecom vendors. Instead, one team plans, installs and supports both the power backbone and the low-voltage systems that depend on it. Engagements usually start with a scoping conversation so requirements are settled early. On the electrical side, the firm also provides:

• Electrical distribution, lighting systems and standby power
• High-voltage installations and engineering design
• Commercial solar and EV charging
• Maintenance programs that follow the NFPA 70B standard (2023 edition)

Industries and project experience

The firm's portfolio covers healthcare, aviation, corrections, defense and North Slope industrial sites. Examples cited on its site include:

• A long-running partnership with Providence Alaska Medical Center, including the 82,000-square-foot Tower M
• Electrical work on the 16-bay F-35 weather shelter hangars at Eielson Air Force Base
• Controls at the Anchorage Fish Hatchery that staff can operate from a smartphone

In security, the company describes itself as a pioneer of Milestone video systems in Alaska.

Background and credentials

Alcan was founded in 1971 as a traditional electrical contractor and later expanded into communications, security and AV integration. It is Alaskan-owned and employs more than 200 people. President Chrys Fleming, Vice President Jesse Hale and Chief Administrative Officer Sage Bringmann acquired the company together and now own it. Fleming and Hale both came up through the IBEW apprenticeship. The company has offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, lists a Wasilla phone line, and serves clients statewide. Its affiliations include:

• NECA's Alaska Chapter
• IBEW Local 1547
• AGC of Alaska
• The Electrical Training Alliance
• AJEATT

Alcan also runs a formal safety program called Safety Zone, with weekly safety meetings at its job sites.

GCI is an Alaska-based telecommunications company that serves households, organizations and businesses across the state. Its portfolio covers home phone lines, mobile service, broadband internet and a dedicated business division. That makes it a candidate for buyers in Alaska who want voice, data and connectivity from a single provider. Rather than operating as a niche phone reseller, GCI runs its own statewide network. It manages service delivery from end to end, from infrastructure through customer support.

Background and history

The company traces its origins to 1979, when founder Ron Duncan set out to give Alaskans more choice in long-distance calling. He started it from a modest Anchorage apartment. GCI describes itself as the state's first technology startup. Over the following decades it expanded from long-distance voice into a full-service carrier.

The company reports roughly $4 billion invested in its Alaska network, with about $3.3 billion of that spent during the past two decades. It also employs a workforce of more than 1,800 people statewide.

Voice, connectivity and devices

For organizations comparing phone and communications vendors, GCI's offerings span several categories:

• Home and landline phone service
• Mobile plans with talk, text and data, including 5G coverage and prepaid options
• High-speed internet, with speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps available to a large share of residents
• A business services division with its own customer care and technical support channels
• Bundled plans marketed under the GCI+ name
• Smartphones, tablets, accessories and streaming hardware sold through its stores

GCI states that about 97% of Alaskans live within its network footprint. Around 80% can access its multi-gigabit internet tier. Availability differs from one community to the next, and the company provides a lookup tool so prospective customers can check what is offered locally.

Support and locations

Headquartered in Anchorage, GCI operates more than 20 retail locations around Alaska where customers can get help in person. Phone-based customer care runs seven days a week, and technical support is staffed on extended daily hours. Online chat and a self-service support library are also available. Business clients are routed to a separate support team. The company also maintains a dedicated statewide line for rural call completion issues, which reflects the challenges of carrying voice traffic to remote Alaska communities.

Community focus and recognition

GCI places heavy emphasis on connecting remote and rural communities and frames its mission around closing the digital divide. Through its GCI Gives program, the company contributes cash, scholarships, products, grants and paid volunteer time to more than 150 Alaska nonprofits each year.

Its giving supports areas such as education, healthy communities, youth and public safety, as well as a dedicated suicide prevention fund. The company cites outside recognition from PC Mag and Ookla for its internet and 5G performance in Alaska. It also notes being named the state's top telecommunications provider by Alaska Business Monthly.

For buyers who value a locally rooted carrier with statewide reach and in-person service, GCI is a long-established option.

Overview

PCNET Communications Inc. is a managed IT and network services provider headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. It has operated since 2003 and positions itself as a stand-in technology department for organizations that find a full in-house IT staff too costly. The business began as a small local outfit and has since grown to serve customers throughout the United States, including companies with multiple sites and some with operations abroad.

Anyone comparing business phone providers should note that PCNET is primarily a network management and security firm rather than a dedicated telecom carrier. Voice over IP is one of its specialized services, offered alongside remote connectivity, hosted infrastructure and network administration. That mix could appeal to organizations that prefer a single team to look after both telephony and data networking.

The reviewed pages do not identify particular phone platforms, devices or calling features, so prospects should ask about the voice options directly.

Services

The firm splits its catalog into ongoing managed services and specialized offerings. A client may hand over the whole IT function or pick individual services, and every package is customized. The list includes:

• Voice over IP solutions for business telephony
• Remote connectivity for people who work away from the office
• Network and infrastructure management with round-the-clock monitoring
• Hosted infrastructure intended to grow with the business
• Daily on-site and encrypted off-site backups, plus replication of an entire network for disaster recovery
• Spam filtering and business email continuity
• Vulnerability and security risk assessments
• HIPAA compliance support
• Video surveillance
• Assessments before network upgrades or migrations

Approach to Client Work

Each engagement begins with PCNET learning about the customer's business, its current systems and the problems it faces. A complimentary consultation and evaluation come first, followed by recommendations. The company advertises a two-hour response time and technical support around the clock.

Its monitoring tools watch the health of critical network resources and send alerts by email, text message or page once configured thresholds are reached. Monitored devices are logged in a database, and the firm can produce readable graphical reports that assist with capacity planning and troubleshooting. PCNET lists Dell, Intel, AMD, Lenovo and Fortinet among its vendor relationships and says its national partnerships help customers obtain favorable pricing.

Industries and Leadership

Healthcare is a clear area of strength. Testimonials on the site come from sleep clinics, a lung and sleep clinic, physicians, a law firm, a real estate office and a waste services company, suggesting a blend of medical and professional-service clients. The company stresses its familiarity with HIPAA for facilities that transmit patient data.

Founder and owner Tony Velez, President and CEO, has more than 26 years in IT management and security.

Before starting PCNET he spent two and a half years as a network administrator in the medical industry, and he also held network management roles at an Alaska Native corporation and at the first cellular company in Alaska, experience that may interest voice buyers. His wife, Ines Velez, is Vice President and Office Manager, overseeing administrative work.

The technical staff includes network administrator Jordan LaPrise, who holds CompTIA Network+ and TestOut PC Pro certifications, and network technician Elias Schneider, who studied at Alaska Vocational Technical Center and holds the Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) credential.