From Bill White --

The municipality of Anchorage is changing cell-phone and Internet companies, a move city officials say will save $411,000 over the three-year life of the deal.

The city is switching to ACS as its cell-phone carrier and Internet provider next month, said Sarah Erkmann, spokeswoman for Mayor Dan Sullivan. The city has been using GCI for most of its cell-phone and Internet business, she said.

The switch will get the city a better plan as measured in cell-phone minutes, said Lucinda Mahoney, city chief financial officer. City workers will get updated Blackberries at no additional cost, she said.

The new pact also will lower Internet bandwidth costs, including boosting the public-access bandwidth at the Loussac Library, she said.