Yes, when Viasat says it has unlimited plans, it actually means unlimited! Unlimited data means customers can use Viasat internet to their heart’s content without encountering overage fees. If you look at the list of internet plans that Viasat offers, you might notice that there are data caps of varying amounts. Typically, in the world of internet providers, a data cap is the point at which service halts. Most internet companies only allow their users to have a limited amount of GBs each month, and once customers use all of their allotted GBs, they can no longer access the internet without being charged extra. However, Viasat’s data caps act more like a data threshold. Rather than cutting off internet services or charging overage fees when customers reach their data thresholds, Viasat deprioritizes their data. While you are using your allotted amount of data, your internet connection is prioritized in order to maintain the downloading speed promised by your selected plan. However, since customers who surf the web after they exceed their data threshold use deprioritized data, their connection will be slower. This is necessary to prevent overuse of the satellite, which supports thousands of Viasat customers at once. Essentially, Viasat’s policy to deprioritize the data of customers who went over their data allowance protects the data of customers who remain under their data threshold. Viasat throttles internet speeds so customers don’t abuse the system. You don’t want a handful of customers to monopolize communication with the Viasat satellite.

Let’s say you do go over your data threshold—how much will that affect your internet connectivity? Viasat does deprioritize your data, but not to an unnecessary extent. During times of heavy congestion, or when a lot of other people with priority data are connecting to the web, your data will be deprioritized to a downloading speed of as little as 1 to 5 Mbps. However, if you go online at a time when few other people are also connecting, you may be able to search, stream, and download at the downloading speed originally promised by your plan.

Those who went over their data allowance and those who want to spread their data out as much as possible benefit from Viasat’s Free Zone. A Free Zone is a time in which data usage is not metered. In other words, if you connect to the internet during these hours, the data you use will not be taken out of your monthly allowance. This Free Zone is between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Viasat has 10 plans, and they are all unlimited in this way. For Viasat’s plan’s being unlimited they offer fair prices that are available in 99% of the United States.