MTA to add iPhone service

PALMER — Alaska scored the lion’s share of regional contracts to carry Apple’s iPhone, nabbing three of six regional contracts.

Alaska companies Matanuska Telephone Association, Alaska Communications and GCI joined regional telephone companies nTelos in Virginia, Cellcom in Wisconsin and Appalachian Wireless in Kentucky in announcing they have been authorized to begin selling iPhones and service on their networks April 20.

People can register now to be first in line to get a new iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 through the MTA, ACS and GCI websites.

“We are very excited to offer Apple’s impressive iPhone 4S to our customers,” MTA CEO Greg Berberich said in a press release. “We are dedicated to providing innovative products and services to our customers and iPhone 4S will deliver an amazing customer experience across our state-of-the-art network.”

MTA also announced plans last month to partner with national carrier, Verizon, on a 4G network, but did not announce a timeline for the project.

Alaska Communications president and CEO Anand Vadapalli said, “We are delighted to offer Alaskans the best iPhone yet on Alaska’s smartest network. As the smartphone experts, Alaska Communications has a range of plans to meet the needs of all Alaskans, at home and at work.”

That GCI has also signed on means its “customers from Ketchikan to Kotzebue and everywhere in between can now use iPhone on the largest and fastest network in the state,” CEO Ron Duncan said.

For more information, visit mtasolutions.com/iPhone4S.php.