GCI unplugs prior plans to end email service

GCI has put the brakes on its previously announced plans to phase out customers’ email accounts. However, to keep those accounts, email users will have to pay a monthly fee. GCI has about 40,000 email users in Alaska, and announced last summer that other providers offer the service and many offer it for free; the company has been encouraging people to get other accounts with other companies.

Must Read Alaska newsletter subscribers with GCI accounts received a notice from MRAK reminding them to activate new accounts before GCI pulled the plug, as it said it would do midyear. That advice still applies to those who don’t want to pay a fee for email with the GCI service.

The news of the reversal was released on the company’s website in a statement, quoted verbatim below:

What is the latest update regarding gci.net emails?

We have received a lot of feedback letting us know just how much our customers want to keep their gci.net email addresses. We value your feedback and have decided not to take any action that would discontinue the use of GCI-hosted email accounts.

Do I still need to pay the $4.99 fee?

Yes, you still need to pay this fee to continue using your email.

When will you decide about the future of gci.net email services?

If there are any changes to the future of gci.net emails, we will inform you in advance.

What if I have already disconnected my email?

Unfortunately, once you’ve disconnected your gci.net email address, you won’t be able to reactivate it.