How Does Viasat Work?

By RSINC. Updated October 8, 2026.

Viasat is a satellite internet service provider. In other words, Viasat uses satellites in space to deliver high-speed internet service to its customers via satellite beams. The process requires a modem and a dish at each satellite internet customer’s location. When the satellite dish is installed at a customer's home by a team of professional technicians, it is positioned toward a geosynchronous satellite that Viasat has launched into geostationary orbit above Earth. It is because of the satellite appearing fixed in the sky that almost anybody in the country can connect to the internet with Viasat. Most internet companies require that telephone or cable poles be in close proximity to those that they service. Satellites, on the other hand, can connect to millions of homes as long as they have a clear view of the southern sky.

Ordered through RSINC, every Viasat plan is guaranteed at least 80 Mbps download through RSINC; uploads can reach 3-5 Mbps and are not guaranteed. Viasat sends internet from a dish on your home to geostationary satellites about 22,000 miles up and back through ground stations. Its newest satellites are the ViaSat-3 fleet; ViaSat-3 F2 entered service over the Americas on September 17, 2026.

From viasat.com, checked October 8, 2026.

Does Viasat Work the Same as Cable Internet or DSL Internet?

Viasat internet transmissions are completed using a satellite beam while cable, fiber and DSL internet use landlines.

Here's a basic breakdown of how Viasat satellite internet works:

• When a Viasat internet user makes a request to connect to a website, the request goes to a Viasat modem.
• The Viasat modem sends the request through a cable connected to the Viasat satellite dish outside the user’s location.
• The satellite dish beams the request to a Viasat satellite, which sends the request to a gateway station in the Viasat ground network.
• The Viasat ground network sends the request on to the website.
• The website responds to the request and sends the information back to the Viasat gateway station.
• The Viasat gateway station sends the information on to the Viasat satellite, which beams it back to the Viasat satellite dish at the location where the request originated.
• The Viasat modem delivers the information to the requesting computer through an ethernet connection or Wi-Fi router.
• Each time a user interacts on the internet, the process is repeated.

If it seems like a Viasat satellite internet request does a lot of traveling, it does. Viasat has a network of satellites, including ViaSat-1, ViaSat-2 and the newer ViaSat-3 satellites, that orbit the earth. Viasat's satellites, including the newest ViaSat-3 satellites, are about 22,000 miles from earth, and each byte of data has to make the round trip with a side trip to the Viasat gateway station. A request and its response cross the satellite links in both directions, making the total signal path much longer than a single trip to orbit. Every time someone uses Viasat internet, requests follow the path detailed above again and again. The distance causes a noticeable delay in response times, but this latency can affect gaming, video calls and other interactive applications. Gamers often cite ping issues with satellite internet.

I Want Fast Internet. How Does Viasat Work?

Viasat satellite internet is available at almost every location in the United States. In fact, installation also requires a suitable site with a clear satellite view, and availability depends on your address and network capacity that will allow satellite signals to travel unimpeded. Because no landlines are required, Viasat is a leader in delivering rural internet in areas that have been left behind by wired service providers, such as cable TV and internet.

While Viasat satellite internet is available virtually anywhere, not all Viasat internet plans are available everywhere. The plans available to your address are determined by which spot beams serve your location. As of October 8, 2026, Viasat sells three plans (Essentials, Unleashed and Unleashed Max) designed around an RSINC download commitment of at least 80 Mbps for eligible orders; uploads can reach 3-5 Mbps and are not guaranteed. Viasat Voice home phone service is available as an add-on.

If I Want Unlimited Data, How Does Viasat Work?

Essentials includes a high-speed data allowance followed by unlimited Standard Data. Unleashed and Unleashed Max offer unlimited high-speed data, subject to network-management and priority rules. Speeds can slow during congestion; unlimited data does not mean unlimited speed or unchanged performance. Check the policy attached to your particular plan.

How Does Viasat Work in Space?

Viasat uses geostationary satellites positioned approximately 35,786 kilometers, or 22,236 miles, above the Earth's equator. Viasat satellites orbit the Earth at the same rotational angular velocity as the Earth, permitting them to appear “fixed” in the Southern sky when looking upward from Earth. The geostationary position allows the satellites to cover an entire continent or ocean.

Viasat will install a small dish, the VSAT terminal, outside your home, to communicate with the satellite. Two way communication lets you request data by clicking a link online to open an internet platform or web page. Your data request is sent from the dish to the satellite. The webpage or file gets sent downstream from the satellite to the dish. The modem-router in your home decodes and processes this signal so you can see it on your devices. Viasat has gateway stations on the ground that connect the satellite network with the internet. The stations receive the data transmitted from the user's dish via the satellite and deliver that request to the correct destinations on the internet. Data from the internet is returned through the gateway stations to the satellite and then sent to the user's VSAT terminal.

Viasat's newest satellites are the three ViaSat-3 satellites: F3 entered service over Asia-Pacific in August 2026 and F2 entered service over the Americas on September 17, 2026, completing the constellation. See what ViaSat-3 F2 means for Viasat customers. Viasat is a great choice for your family’s internet needs. You can get unlimited data with a choice of plans that best meet your needs.