Shares of Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, General Communications Inc., jumped Tuesday after an analyst predicted superior economic conditions in its home state will give the company an edge over competitors.

Shares climbed 55 cents, or 8.9 percent, to $6.72. The stock hit a low of $4.50 in the past 52 weeks, with an annual high of $11.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Jonathan Atkin upgraded the stock to “Outperform” from “Perform.”

In a note to investors Atkin said he is more confident that General Communications’ wireless customers are moving successfully to the company’s own network as it phases out its relationship with AT&T.

And given the better economic picture in Alaska, the company should outperform its competitors in the lower 48 states and stave off growing long-distance competition, Atkin said.

He raised his estimate for revenue in 2009 to $622 million from $619 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect $618.1 million on average.