-
Best speeds
Viasat Satellite Internet- No-contract options
- Unlimited data
- Speed varies by region
- Starting price: $69.99/mo.*
- Speed range: Up to 12–150Mbps
-
Best prices
Hughesnet Satellite Internet- Lower-priced satellite-only plans
- Purchased data doesn’t expire
- Lower speeds
- Starting price: $39.99/mo.†
for first 12 mos. - Speed range: Up to 25–100Mbps
(stated speeds are not guaranteed)
-
Lowest latency
Starlink Satellite Internet- Stellar mobile app
- Connectivity from anywhere
- Expensive startup costs
- Starting price: $80.00/mo.‡
- Speed range: Up to 40–300Mbps
Data as of 09/04/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read disclaimers.
On this page:
What is satellite internet | Compare providers | Perks and promotions | Best plans | Pros and cons | Best providers | How satellite works | Other options | FAQ
On this page:
What is satellite internet?
Satellite internet connects your home to the internet via an orbiting satellite. This makes satellite connections available nationwide and a good option for rural areas that lack access to DSL, cable, or fiber networks. Instead of using land-based cords and cables to provide your signal, you connect to the internet through a small satellite dish installed on or near your home. The two major satellite internet providers are Viasat and Hughesnet, though new providers like Starlink are now entering the satellite internet market.
Internet satellites are typically located in geosynchronous orbit (GSO), so the satellite that provides your signal is always in the same spot in the sky. In the US and the rest of the northern hemisphere, satellite internet is available virtually anywhere with a clear view of the southern sky.
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites circle the Earth at only a fraction of the distance of GSO satellites, but they streak across the sky in a matter of minutes. Although your data doesn’t need to travel as far, you need thousands of LEO satellites to maintain continuous coverage.
Other providers, like Hughesnet, are experimenting with hybrid satellite/wireless networks in order to deliver a responsive online experience while still using powerful GSO satellites.
Compare satellite internet providers
| Provider | Starting price | Speed range | Order online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viasat | $69.99/mo.* | Up to 12–150Mbps | |
| Hughesnet | $39.99/mo.† for first 12 mos. | Up to 25–100Mbps (stated speeds are not guaranteed) | |
| Starlink | $80.00/mo.‡ | Up to 45–300Mbps | View Plans for Starlink |
Data as of 09/04/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read disclaimers.
Perks and promotions for satellite internet
- Get $20 off per month for three months when you call in to sign up for Viasat internet
- Get free professional installation (with credit qualification) when you sign up for a qualifying home internet plan from Viasat
- Save up to $25 every month in your first year of service with Hughesnet Internet
- Get free professional installation of Hughesnet Internet, including Wi-Fi setup and device connection
- Get a standard Starlink kit for $175 and discounts on Residential service plans in certain areas until Sept. 12
- Get speeds up to 300Mbps
- Get a 30-day trial of Starlink internet and if you don't like it, you'll get a full refund
Best satellite internet plans for rural areas
| Plan | Download speed | Data threshold | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viasat Unleashed | Up to 150Mbps | Unlimited | $119.99/mo.* |
| Hughesnet Fusion | Up to 100Mbps (stated speeds are not guaranteed) | Unlimited | $94.99/mo.† for first 12 mos. |
Data as of 09/04/2025. Speeds and pricing vary by area and are subject to change. Read disclaimers.
Pros and cons of satellite internet
Pros:
- Wide availability
Cons:
- Slow speeds
- Restrictive data caps
- High latency
Pros
Wide availability—Satellite is the only kind of internet connection that basically covers the entire United States. You don’t need physical infrastructure like buried cables or utility poles to connect to satellite internet—you don’t even need to live within range of a transmission tower. All you need is a clear view of the southern sky and a good spot on your property where you can mount a dish.
Cons
Slow speeds—Satellite is faster than dial-up and can keep up with many DSL plans, but it can’t compete in terms of speed with cable or fiber connections.
Restrictive data caps—Satellite internet plans have traditionally had very restrictive data caps compared to other types of internet. Providers often try to get around this by framing it as “premium” or “prioritized data,” but if your speed can be reduced or you can be charged extra after using a certain amount of data, that’s a data cap. These restrictions make data-intensive activities like watching movies on Netflix more difficult to do on a satellite connection.
High latency—The extended delay between sending a signal from your computer and getting a response (space is far away) makes it hard to play fast-paced online games like Fortnite and can cause problems in other real-time activities like video chat.
Best satellite internet providers
There are two main satellite providers, with several LEO satellite providers entering the market. Viasat gives you a single option, which is pretty fast by satellite standards. Hughesnet offers several options, including its hybrid Hughesnet Fusion plan. Starlink offers lower latency and higher speeds, but its prices tend to be higher than the other two and its pricing scheme changes frequently.
Viasat
Flexible option with unlimited data and no contracts
The main advantage that you get from Viasat is flexibility. Its Viasat Unleashed plan has no long-term contracts and you get unlimited data with basically no restrictions. Both these features are becoming the norm for wired connections like cable and fiber, but satellite has long been the last holdout for restrictive data caps and extremely long contractual obligations.
Viasat and Starlink allow subscribers to cancel at any time without incurring hefty early termination fees. The biggest advantage Viasat has over Starlink is its lower upfront costs. Viasat’s equipment is about half the price of Starlink’s, plus it has options for renting the equipment instead of buying it, which makes switching to Viasat even easier.
Viasat plans and pricing
| Package | Starting price | Speed | Data cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viasat Essential | $69.99/mo.* | Up to 50Mbps | Unlimited |
| Viasat Unleashed | $119.99/mo.† | Up to 150Mbps | Unlimited |
Data as of 8/28/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* 12-month contract required
† Prices, speeds and availability vary by location. Prices are subject to change. No annual contract or installation fees are required. Monthly equipment lease fees and taxes may apply.
Is Viasat really unlimited?
Viasat is currently the only satellite provider that offers unlimited data with no extra charges or restrictions. Both Hughesnet and Starlink have unlimited standard data, but your connection is deprioritized when not using priority data, which can be purchased. Just like other providers with data caps, once your data runs out, you get the leftover bandwidth after priority customers have been served. Starlink, notably, did have unlimited data at launch, but later introduced its current data policy to better manage network congestion.
Viasat offers truly unlimited data, similar to how unlimited plans work on wired connections. Speeds are not throttled or deprioritized in favor of those who pay extra. There are also no overage charges or fees associated with your data usage. Viasat does note that households who use over 850GB of data in a month might experience slowing, so it sounds like there is still some deprioritization happening for network management. For context, the largest data plan Viasat offered before the launch of its Unleashed plan was 500GB, so its likely that many users won’t ever hit that possible data cap.
Hughesnet
Best for budget friendly plans
Hughesnet plans have a download speed range of 50-100Mbps, which is the minimum connection speed that can be considered broadband. That’s enough to stream 4K video—at least in theory. When we tested Hughesnet plans first-hand, we found that it couldn’t maintain enough speed to stream 4K. In fact, it barely managed 480p.
Hughesnet offers two types of plans, traditional satellite-only plans and its multitransport HughesNet Fusion plan. Both plan types include unlimited standard data—but will only include 100GB or 200GB of priority data depending on the plan.
Hughesnet Fusion combines satellite and terrestrial wireless connections into a single plan. With some additional equipment, it will correctly route your connection over satellite or wireless, giving you low latency when it matters, such as with online games or video chat.
As with Viasat, we don’t generally recommend plans with low data caps, though if you experience slower-than-expected speeds like we did while testing, you might not be going through data as fast as you think. Although Hughesnet makes it easy to choose with just four plans, choosing a plan that best meets your household speed needs saves you money in the long run.
Hughesnet plans, pricing, and speeds
| Package | Price* | Speed | Data cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | $39.99/mo.* for first 12 mos. | Up to 25Mbps (stated speeds are not guaranteed) | Unlimited |
| Select | $49.99/mo.† for first 12 mos. | Up to 50Mbps (stated speeds are not guaranteed) | Unlimited |
| Elite | $64.99/mo.† for first 12 mos. | Up to 100Mbps (stated speeds are not guaranteed) | Unlimited |
| Fusion | $94.99/mo.† for first 12 mos. | Up to 100Mbps (stated speeds are not guaranteed) | Unlimited |
Data as of 09/04/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read disclaimers.
Is Hughesnet a practical solution?
Hughesnet is the most affordable satellite internet, but it also has the lowest speeds, barely meeting the FCC’s threshold for broadband internet. This means that it’s enough speed to do basic tasks like checking your email or social media, but not enough to do more bandwidth-intensive tasks like watching HD video.
One advantage Hughesnet has are its multitransport Hughesnet Fusion plan. Like its satellite-only plans, Fusion plans have a fixed speed, but let you choose how much monthly data you want. The difference is that these plans combine satellite and terrestrial wireless connections, routing your connection over the one you need at that moment. This gives you low latency when it matters, such as with online games or video chat.
As with Viasat, we don’t recommend plans with incredibly low data caps, however, you might not be going through data as fast as you think with Hughesnet. When testing Hughesnet, we experienced much slower than expected speeds, which was not ideal, but it did mean that our data lasted longer than we had anticipated. In any case, while Hughesnet makes it easy to buy more data, choosing a plan that better meets your household data usage will save you money in the long run.
There are certainly pros and cons to going with the budget option for your home internet, so make sure you know what will work for your household before you commit to a long-term contract.
Starlink
Best potential (limited availability)
Starlink is one of the most exciting developments in satellite internet. Developed by SpaceX, Starlink uses thousands of small satellites in low orbit around the Earth, as opposed to a single, large telecommunications satellite, like Viasat and HughesNet.
One of the biggest physical hurdles that satellite internet faces is the immense distance between the earth and satellites in geosynchronous orbit. By bringing its satellites closer to Earth, Starlink shortens the path your data takes, allowing for lower latency and higher speeds. This makes real-time applications such as video chat and online games much more feasible.
| Package | Price | Speed | Data cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starlink Residential Lite | $80/mo.* | Up to 130Mbps | None |
| Starlink Residential | $120/mo.† | Up to 300Mbps | None |
| Roam 50GB | $50/mo.* | Up to 300Mbps | 50GB |
| Roam Unlimited | $165/mo.* | Up to 300Mbps | None |
Data as of 06/18/2025 Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read disclaimers.
Does Starlink live up to the hype?
Starlink is the biggest thing to happen in the satellite internet market in decades, but it’s still a newcomer to the scene. While Starlink could reshape internet in rural America by providing greater access, faster speeds, and lower prices like you see in more urban areas, it’s still a long way off on these promises. Speeds have dropped as the network has struggled to deal with the influx of users. The service also comes with a hefty upfront equipment cost and an increasingly convoluted system of data plans. None of these issues are conducive to folks in underserved rural areas.
Although some of these problems could be dealbreakers for many potential customers, Starlink, even in its current state, is a viable choice when compared to other satellite options. It fills a need for rural customers who need a flexible, fast, and low-latency internet option.
How to find the best internet provider in your area
Enter your zip code above to see a comparison of the best internet providers available near you. Knowing what your options are is the first step to choosing the right internet provider for you.
How satellite internet works
Satellite internet works by sending a signal to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit (except for LEO satellites) and then bouncing that signal back to a receiver installed on your home. This means that you can get satellite service just about anywhere without normal infrastructure like buried cables, utility poles, or ground-based antennas.
Disadvantages of satellite internet
While beaming your internet signal in from outer space gives satellite internet a unique advantage over other types of connections, it also comes with a lot of downsides.
Due to higher prices, lower bandwidth, strict data caps, and high latency, satellite internet isn’t the best option unless it’s the only option. Although satellite internet can deliver broadband speeds around 100Mbps to 150Mbps in some areas (which match DSL speeds), its restrictive data caps and high price per Mbps make DSL the better choice if it’s available.
Space is very, very far away
Traditional satellite internet providers keep their satellites in geosynchronous orbit so that they are always found in the same spot in the sky. This means that a single satellite can cover an entire continent.
Unfortunately, geosynchronous orbit is very high—22,236 miles above the Earth’s surface. For comparison, the International Space Station is only 254 miles above the Earth. That means your data has to travel almost 90 times farther, plus it has to make a round trip.
Since a satellite signal has to travel all the way into orbit and back to reach the rest of the internet, satellite connections have much higher latency than other types of internet connections.
Latency is the amount of time it takes for a signal to travel from your computer to a server on the internet. High latency causes lag, which can make activities like video chat and online gaming difficult or impossible. Latency is different from bandwidth or download speed, which means that even if you have a fast connection, it still might have high enough latency to interfere with certain activities.
The future of satellite internet
Satellite internet has improved considerably over the years and is an industry where new companies like Starlink are still innovating. Speeds are getting faster, and a new generation of satellites is poised to accelerate the pace of these changes even further. Although it has definite drawbacks, satellite internet can still be a good option for those who want to stay connected even when they’re chilling in their cabin in the woods.
One of the biggest things to look for in the future is increased competition among satellite providers. Lack of competition is a problem across all types of internet technology, but satellite has a particularly high barrier to entry, which has left just two providers for decades. With several companies developing their own LEO satellite technology, we might finally see more options for satellite customers.
The LEO satellite gold rush is also forcing traditional GSO satellite providers to come up with new solutions to long-standing problems like latency. HughesNet plans to address this issue with its new Fusion plans, which make use of terrestrial wireless networks for latency-sensitive data. This means that if you make a video call or turn on your favorite Twitch streamer, your HughesNet equipment will switch over to a wireless connection in order to deliver that data to your device without the lag you’d get using your satellite connection.
Like LEO satellites, hybrid satellite internet like HughesNet Fusion could make a huge difference for rural communities without access to cable or fiber internet. As high-speed options in rural areas increase, people will be able to take advantage of many of the same opportunities for work, entertainment, and education available in urban areas.
The practical reality of connecting via satellite
For now, satellite internet still has enough downsides to make it a less appealing choice than fiber, cable, or DSL. High latency makes it difficult to use video chat or play online games, while low data caps make streaming video impractical.
Because of these factors, we highly suggest going with fiber, cable, or DSL if any of them are available in your area. If not, satellite internet is still a solid alternative to dial-up internet and a good way to stay connected in rural areas.
What other internet options are available for rural areas?
Satellite internet is the only type of internet connection that is available throughout the entire US. However, many rural areas have other options like DSL, hotspots, and 4G LTE internet that might be a better choice for your needs.
4G LTE home internet
4G LTE home internet uses the same cellular networks that your mobile devices use, but with a more traditional router that connects to cellular networks rather than a phone or a mobile hotspot.
Because these plans are designed for home Wi-Fi networks, 4G LTE home internet plans are usually better suited for families with higher internet usage. Many plans come with unlimited data, which can make them a good alternative to satellite internet in areas where you have good cell reception.
Verizon is also building out its 5G Home Internet service, which uses 5G cellular technology. This service has the potential to offer much higher speeds than 4G cellular connections and will provide internet to customers in areas with limited internet choices.3
Mobile wireless hotspots
Mobile wireless internet uses cell towers to connect to your phone or other devices. Although phone networks don’t cover the whole United States, 4G cellular networks cover most populated areas. If you get good phone reception in your house, you might be able to use your phone in lieu of a separate internet plan.
Most smartphones can be used as a mobile hotspot, which broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal that you can use to connect your other devices like laptops and smart TVs. You can also buy a dedicated mobile hotspot in addition to your phone plan. This will keep your phone from running down its battery and ensure that the other people in your house don’t lose their internet connection every time you go out.
Like satellite connections, many phone plans have data caps or other restrictions that make them difficult to use as your primary internet service. If, however, you have good reception and don’t use a lot of data in a month, you can get decent internet service through a service you’re already paying for.
More about satellite internet
Satellite internet FAQ
Which provider offers the best satellite internet?
What’s the deal with SpaceX’s Starlink?
How fast will Starlink internet be?
How much does Starlink internet cost?
Will there be just three satellite providers?
How do I install satellite internet?
How fast is satellite internet?
Is satellite internet better than DSL?
Sources
- Karl Bode, Techdirt, “Verizon Says Claims It’s Abandoning Its DSL Customers ‘Pure Nonsense,’ as Company Clearly Busy Abandoning DSL Customers,” June 16, 2015. Accessed October 15, 2020.
- Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, “AT&T Kills DSL, Leaves Tens of Millions of Homes without Fiber Internet,” October 5, 2020. Accessed October 15, 2020.
- Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, “Verizon Announces Its Nationwide 5G Network,” Oct 13, 2020. Accessed October 15, 2020.
- Joey Roulette, Reuters, “Musk’s SpaceX Pegs Initial Starlink Internet Price at $99 per Month – Email,” October 27, 2020. Accessed October 29, 2020.
- Jackie Wattles, CNN Business, “Here’s What You Need to Know About SpaceX’s Starlink Internet Service,” October 26, 2019. Accessed October 15, 2020.
- Mike Brown, Inverse, “SpaceX Starlink: When Will It Be Available in My Area?,” February 4, 2020. Accessed October 15, 2020.
- Michael Kan, PC Mag, “SpaceX’s Starlink Raises Download Speed Goal From 1Gbps to 10Gbps,” January 26, 2021. Accessed January 28, 2021.
- Anuradha Garg, Market Realist, “Project Kuiper, Starlink, and OneWeb Duel in Satellite Internet Race,” October 26 2021, Accessed October 27, 2021.
- Jason Rainbow, SpaceNews, “OneWeb and Saudi Arabia create $200 million connectivity joint venture,” October 27, 2021. Accessed October 28, 2021.
- Kate Duffy, Business Insider. “SpaceX Starlink Customers Who Paid a $100 Deposit 7 Months Ago Are Frustrated at Being Unable To Contact Customer Service To See When Their Kits Will Arrive.” Sep 5, 2021, Accessed March 9, 2022.
- Jason Rainbow, Space News, “Russia-Ukraine War Raises Questions for Upcoming Oneweb Launches,” February 28, 2022. Accessed March 17, 2022.
- Kris Holt, Engaget, “Two of Europe’s Biggest Internet Satellite Companies are Merging to Take on Starlink” July 26, 2022. Accessed July 28, 2022.
- Aaron Leong, DigitalTrends, “Why Starlink download speeds are experiencing double-digit dips,” Published November 30, 2022. Accessed January 30, 2023.
Disclaimers
Find satellite internet providers
* Viasat
- 12-month contract required with Viasat Essential plan
- Prices, speeds and availability vary by location. Prices are subject to change. No annual contract or installation fees are required. Monthly equipment lease fees and taxes may apply.
† Hughesnet
-
Minimum term required and early service termination fees apply. Monthly Fee reflects the applied $5 savings for ACH enrollment. Offer may vary by geographic area.
‡ Starlink
- Plus hardware, shipping & handling fees, and tax. Fully refundable. Depending on location, some orders may take 6 months or more to fulfill.
Best satellite internet plans
* Prices, speeds and availability vary by location. Prices are subject to change. No annual contract or installation fees are required. Monthly equipment lease fees and taxes may apply.
† 24-month commitment and early service termination fees apply.
Best Hughesnet Plans
* Minimum term required and early service termination fees apply. Monthly Fee reflects the applied $5 savings for ACH enrollment. Offer may vary by geographic area.
Best Starlink Plans
* Plus hardware, shipping & handling fees, and tax. Fully refundable. Depending on location, some orders may take 2 weeks or more to fulfill.
† Users on Mini Roam are limited to 50GB of Mobile Data and can use in-motion beyond 100mph