While many companies deploying fiber optic solutions are doing so with a value added approach that includes digital cable and digital telephone services, some providers are sticking with what they do best: being an ISP. While the value added approach is probably a long term goal of companies in this group, they may also hope to one day be acquired by firms with greater reach and scope. One such firm that offers fiber optic broadband services to select parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts is Galaxy Internet Services.
A Whole Galaxy? Not Quite
As previously mentioned, Galaxy Internet Services does not offer their own digital television services, but they do offer some triple play bundles that use DIRECTV’s services. This combination makes Galaxy Internet fairly competitive, but it would be nice to see everything coming down a single fiber optic line. Hopefully that will be something that Galaxy will offer in the future.
Fiber, It’s Techie For Ridiculously Fast
The best thing about Galaxy Internet Service’s broadband services is that they are incredibly fast. The least expensive fiber-optic powered broadband plan starts with a 15 Mbps downstream speed and a 2 Mbps upstream speed. This would be in the upper ranges of any DSL offerings or cable modem offerings, and this is only a starting point for Galaxy Internet Service’s fiber optic offerings. While there may be less expensive broadband options than the $39.95 per month 15/2 plan, it is hard to argue with that price when one compares it to comparable DSL or cable modem offerings.
The mid-range offering from Galaxy Internet services is a symmetrical 25 Mbps connection. 25 Mbps of upstream and downstream means a fast connection no matter what one uses their broadband connection for. Better yet, uploads do not dramatically affect download speeds with most fiber optic systems, especially those using symmetrical transmission technologies. For $49.95 a month, there would seem to be almost no reason why anyone would save $10 a month and go for the lowest-priced plan considering the vast increase in upstream speed and the significant increase in downstream speeds offered by the middle of the road fiber optic broadband plan.
For those who just want pure, unadulterated speed, Galaxy Internet Services has a blazingly fast 50 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream connection available. The only downside to this plan is that it does cost a fair amount more than the other connections, to the tune of $159.95 per month. Keep in mind that all prices are subject to change, and all three plans require a one-time setup fee of $59.99.
Additional Features
Galaxy Internet Services offers free domain hosting services to go along with fiber optic connections, but that may or may not be an enticing option. After all, there are those that tinker with the web and those that use it seriously, with very few in the middle. Add to this 7 e-mail boxes, 20 MB of webspace on a domain owned by Galaxy, a free dial-up account for travelers, and unlimited tech support, and there is a lot to like about Galaxy’s fiber optic connections. Broadband phone services (VoIP) are also available, as well as fiber optic connections for business customers. The business plans tend to be significantly more expensive than their residential counterparts. VoIP services cover all the regular features one would expect, and come in many different packages, including a free offering with up to 60 minutes per month. An unlimited VoIP service only costs $19.95 per month and covers the U.S. plus up to 30 international destinations, which is quite a deal.
The Triple Play That Got Away
As previously mentioned, Galaxy does also offer triple play packages. Unfortunately, those triple play packages do not come with fiber optic connections. Hopefully Galaxy will realize this oversight in the wake of all the demand for fiber optic connections, and do so quickly. The company’s speedy fiber optic connections really are the main attraction, and the DSL services that Galaxy bundles with its triple play plans are yesterday’s technology.
The Bottom Line
Galaxy Internet Services has some incredibly fast fiber optic connections available at great prices. Unlimited tech support is also very nice, but customers looking for triple play packages will be left out in the cold unless they want to tolerate slower DSL-powered broadband services.
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