Who is Skybeam?
Skybeam is a wired and wireless telecommunication company located in Englewood, CO. According to LinkedIn, they are among the largest telecommunication companies in the country. The company claims to cover about 7.73% of the USA.
It is available in 17 of the 51 states, and rising. Skybeam is most common in Utah, with a 79.09% coverage. It also covers 70.04% of Idaho and 63.5% of Colorado.
Skybeam is also present in Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Texas, South Dakota, and Illinois. It has a 20.05% coverage in Wyoming. Skybeam covers over 2800 cities in these states, with Houston, TX being the most covered city.
Skybeam is part of the Rise Broadband Inc. family organization. Recently, Skybeam changed its name to Rise Broadband, after its parent company. After the name change, the company decided to invest more in network provision.
Now, they have reliable and fast-speed internet for their customers. You can consider them for your communication, education, and entertainment needs.
Skybeam Products
Skybeam offers two types of services under their phone and internet connection services. These include:
i. Residential Services
If you are moving and want an internet connection, Skybeam has a plan for you. Also, when you want to change from your current plan, you can consult with them. The Skybeam residential plans are flexible packages that you budget for monthly.
The connectivity speeds allow you to stream your favorite shows, movies, and music. You can get the residential plans for $25 per month for the first 12 months.
For an extra $20 per month, you can enjoy unlimited data. The package helps you avoid data usage charges and comes with 50% off the installation cost. Subscribers get up to 25Mbps or 50Mbps for an extra $10 per month in select cities.
Note:
This offer is only for new members. After the first 12 months, your monthly bill increases by $10 for the same speeds. If you opt for auto payment, you save $5 per month, charged to non-auto-payment subscribers.
If you want to include a digital phone in your plan, you pay an extra $20 per month.
ii. Business Services
Skybeam also offers wired and wireless communication services to businesses. A small business would have 1-10 employees and 1-2 phone lines. You fall under the enterprise solution if you have more than ten employees and more than three phone lines.
For $80/month, your business gets 25Mbps with unlimited data usage. $90/month gets you 50Mbps with managed Wi-Fi and SMB support.
For an extra $10, businesses can get 100Mbps with uncapped data usage. All these plans have an additional$75 installation charge and do not need a contract.
What do customers say?
Skybeam does not seem to be doing well with its customers. There are many complaints about their services. Skybeam has a 3.1-star rating at Glassdoor. Since Skybeam was Aircanopy, their customers have had complaints about their services.
Yes, they provide their services in remote areas with no other internet providers. They also have quick installation and are cheaper.
Some users report a drop in internet speeds whenever they use Skybeam. The users lose internet connection due to ‘weather-related outages.’ The service works okay when it works, but it is unreliable.
Some customers also claim that their subscription plans have bandwidth limitations. Thus, you could be paying for 15Mbps, but only using 5Mbps at peak, sometimes dropping to 2Mbps.
Generally, many of the reviews made by Skybeam customers are not good. Their customer service support is wanting, making you wonder if it is the right company for you.
Our Recommendation
With a $35 bill in your budget for an internet connection, you want a fast and reliable connection. It would help if you were not dealing with intermittent disconnection. Weather-related outages are not okay. From what long-term customers are saying, Skybeam may not be your best option.
Some customers say that they enjoy live streams without buffering while using Skybeam. After becoming Rise Broadband, they invested in faster connection and better customer service.
There are pros and cons to joining Skybeam. But, there have been very little improvements in their services. It may not be the best option for an internet connection, especially in remote areas.
Should you go for fixed wireless or Ethernet services?
Wireless services are okay because you can use them from anywhere in the room. But, the Ethernet connection boosts the performance of the internet connection. You also cut risks such as logging into a compromised network.
How do you pay for your Skybeam bill?
When signing up for your Rise Broadband subscription, you register an account number. Every month, you can choose to make auto payments to Skybeam or not. If you decide to manage your expenses, you incur an extra $5 charge.
