Compare Satellite Internet Plans to Get the Best Value
When you need reliable high-speed internet at a remote location, today’s best option may be to choose from satellite internet plans available in your area. People often assume that satellite internet is outdated and has high latency; however, technology has developed to the point where, for many people, satellite internet is the best option. This is especially true for residents living in rural areas, where cable and fiber optic networks don’t offer their services. Satellite internet is different from cable internet because connectivity is not based on how close a customer lives to telephone poles. Instead, anyone with a clear view of the sky can position an internet dish to communicate with satellites in the atmosphere. Two satellite internet providers—Viasat Internet (formerly Exede Internet) and HughesNet Internet—make satellite internet plans available at almost every address in the United States. Let us help you find the satellite internet service with the fastest download speeds, an unlimited data plan, the cheapest price or the combination of the three that offers the best satellite internet plan for you.

How Do the Top Satellite Internet Plans Compare?
Viasat offers download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. HughesNet offers a top download speed of 25 Mbps. Viasat Internet and HughesNet Internet offer upload speeds up to 3 Mbps. Even at top satellite internet downloading speeds, video streaming and live video gaming can prove difficult due to high latency. If you plan to stream videos or use the internet for gaming, you will want to buy the fastest satellite internet plan available to you in order to decrease latency.
Viasat satellite internet offers an introductory price of $150/month for the first three months of service under its 100 Mbps satellite internet plan; the price is $200/month after the introductory period. HughesNet offers an introductory price of $59.99/month. Viasat has comparably priced plans, if you are looking for the cheapest internet price and prefer Viasat internet service. Be sure to ask for details on satellite internet plans by ZIP code. Most satellite internet plans require a 24-month commitment.
Both Viasat and HughesNet satellite internet plans include data allowances, but Viasat offers unlimited data that prioritizes traffic only after the data cap is reached. HughesNet offers free data—late night hours only—so that large downloads can be scheduled and not count against the data limit. Viasat offers a similar service called Free Zones during early morning hours, at which time customers can download files or surf the web without having their data usage metered. If you reach your data threshold under Viasat or HughesNet satellite internet plans, you can expect to have your downloads and uploads slow down, particularly if you have a HughesNet satellite internet plan.

Save Money with the Bundling Options in Satellite Internet Plans
If you are looking for a way to afford a faster satellite internet plan, you may see significant savings when you bundle internet with TV and phone. HughesNet and Viasat satellite internet plans offer options for bundling internet with DIRECTV satellite television service or VoIP telephone service.
Examples: Viasat provides customers a $10/month discount on satellite internet service for an entire year when internet service is bundled with DIRECTV. HughesNet provides customers a $10/month discount on satellite internet service for an entire year when phone service is bundled at the time of purchase.

The days of calling a DSL internet service provider or subscribing to a dial-up internet service as a last resort because you live in a sparsely populated area are over! Call today to compare satellite internet plans. Simply ask the rep, “Can you tell me about satellite internet providers in my area?”

Satellite Internet Plans Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is satellite internet slow?
The speed of a satellite internet service is determined by the satellite internet plan you select. Viasat offers satellite internet plans with download speeds up to 100 Mbps. The 100 Mbps satellite internet plans are Viasat-2 plans, which are available only in areas served by the ViaSat-2 satellite. While compared to fiber optic networks, a 100 Mbps downloading speed may seem slow, it is a great speed in the world of satellite internet. Most satellite internet companies offer a fraction of the downloading speed for a high cost, which makes Viasat’s prices and high speeds a great deal for those living outside of areas covered by cable and fiber optic networks. But, customers shouldn’t take a downloading speed of 100 Mbps as a loss; that speed allows customers to comfortably watch movies, use multiple devices, and even instal video home security systems.
Viasat has a network of satellites that make it possible for the company to provide internet service to almost every address in the United States; however, top advertised speeds in some areas are 12 Mbps, 25 Mbps, 30 Mbps and 50 Mbps. These speeds are more than adequate for most internet activities, especially for those living alone or with small families. Higher downloading speeds are great for households that need to use multiple devices at once. Twelve to 50 Mbps is perfect for those who only need to connect to the internet on a couple of devices.
HughesNet internet reaches almost every address in the U.S. Unlike Viasat, HughesNet plans all offer a top download speed of 25 Mbps, which makes Viasat more reliable in almost every location.

Are all satellite internet plans expensive?
Satellite internet plan pricing is determined by download speeds and data thresholds. Base plans and mid-range satellite internet plans are priced in a range that is comparable to rates charged for DSL, cable internet and fiber internet in most markets. If you consider how high Viasat’s data caps are in comparison to other companies, you will come to the conclusion that Viasat offers a great service for an affordable price. Plus, customers who take advantage of Viasat’s Free Zones will soon learn how far their data allowance can truly go. By taking the time to download movies, files, music, or other items in the morning during Free Zones, customers can enjoy their downloaded material during the day for free without using any data that would have been metered had they streamed and downloaded outside of Free Zones. With Viasat internet, the connection is truly unlimited, and the world is at your fingertips.

Are there satellite internet plans that provide adequate internet for gaming?
While browsing the web and sending emails requires very low downloading speeds and uses few GB of monthly data, activities like video conferencing, streaming TV shows and movies, and playing video games can eat up a large chunk of data and require fast downloading speeds. Viasat cautions customers to use their internet wisely and advises against relying on satellite internet to support live video gaming. When streaming movies, information must be sent from the main satellite in earth’s atmosphere to the customer's satellite dish at incredible speeds in order to prevent lagging. Video games and video conferences add a step that complicates the process since information must simultaneously be sent and received between satellites. Some video games work great on satellite internet—others, not so much due to the latency of the satellite internet signal. Some of the most suitable games for satellite internet include World of Warcraft and Star Trek Online. Some of the worst games for satellite internet are active shooter games, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Fortnite.

Introducing Viasat Flex, a Satellite Internet Plan that Calls on DSL for Gaming, Streaming and VPN

With the launch of Viasat Flex in Fall 2019, Viasat significantly improved internet service for customers in select areas where Viasat-2 plans are offered. New and existing customers may opt to have Viasat Flex installed in their homes and start enjoying the speed of satellite internet in combination with the low-latency internet service provided by DSL.

Customers who opt for Viasat Flex will get a hybrid internet product with satellite internet and DSL internet coming into the home through two separate modems connected by an Ethernet cable. Proprietary software from Viasat will monitor usage and automatically switch between satellite and DSL internet to provide seamless internet service. The system will recognize interactive games, VPN services, video streams and other internet traffic, and automatically switch between satellite internet service and DSL internet. During times of high demand at your household, there may be times when both satellite and DSL internet are in use.

As you look at HughesNet vs. Viasat satellite internet plans, you will want to see if Viasat Flex is available at your address. Because DSL lines are required, Viasat Flex may not be available in the most remote locations—the very places that have enthusiastically embraced satellite internet as the best choice for rural internet. Call today and ask a sales rep if Viasat Flex is an option for your home.


TV Stations Broadcast a Signal. Why can “satellite internet stations” do the same thing?

Wouldn’t that be great? TV signals are one-way signals broadcast from an origination point out in every which direction. They land on your TV screen. There are systems and equipment working to get it step to step onto your TV screen but it’s basically a one-way trip.

The internet is a two-way exchange. Data is sent and received back and forth continually. Packet-switching technology operates in systems and devices to maintain that two-way transfer. When you open a website, your browser is sending a “request” to the servers for that website to send data back to your browser and thus render the website on your device. When you log into your account online you are sending data out to the internet. Data is being returned to you when access is granted and you get into the site. Your satellite dish has to manage both sending data and receiving data at all times. This is a more complex set of requirements and has greater challenges.

How much data does an hour of streaming a high-definition video from Netflix use?

For high-definition it’s approximately 3B of data but for regular streaming of a movie or TV show it’s about 1 GB per hour. Our most basic plan offers 15GB of data per billing month. Depending on your location there may be several other plans available at the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum level Satellite Internet Plans that offer allotments from 35GB up to 150 GB or more in selected areas. Streaming video quality can vary and isn’t guaranteed so it’s defined as “up to.”

What are the Unlimited Data Satellite Internet Plan Details?

If you go over, you won’t be charged extra in our Unlimited Data Plans but your speeds may slow down. During peak traffic times we may rank your data as less urgent than for other customers.

Unlimited Data plan limits (not all plans are available in all rural areas): For Basic 12 the allocation is 15 GB. For Bronze 12 the allocations are 35 GB, 40 GB or 80 GB depending on your individual plan. For Silver 12 it’s 45 GB. For the Gold 12 it is 65 GB. For the Bronze 25 plan it’s 35 GB. For Silver 25 it will be 60 GB, 100 GB or 120 GB depending on your precise plan. For Gold 30 it is 100 GB or 200 GB based on your specific plan. For Gold 50 it is 100 GB or 200 GB contingent on your specific plan, and for Platinum 100 it will be either 150 GB or 300 GB based on which of the two plans you have. Depending on your area, not all of these plans may be available.