Best Satellite Internet Providers of 2022
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX is the satellite internet service provider that grabs the majority of the headlines, whether sending Starlink terminals to the front lines in Ukraine or partnering with T-Mobile to help provide greater cellular connectivity across the US. The latest twist is this December’s introduction of a Starlink data cap. But Musk’s ISP is just a small part of the picture.
The fact that many people in rural America do not have sufficient internet access is not new.Although exact figures differ, a growing number of people agree that the United States needs to improve and expand its internet infrastructure.The bright side?Through collaboration with ISPs and the Affordable Connectivity Program, the White House hopes to reduce the cost of our internet connections.
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In the meantime, the only type of broadband connection that is currently available to residents of rural areas in all fifty states is satellite internet.It lacks the speed of fiber or cable connections for the internet.Nonetheless, when internet access is essential—and the pandemic has demonstrated just how important it is—satellite broadband can be crucial.However, which satellite internet service provider is the best?
Sincerely, there aren’t many options.However, when you investigate satellite internet access, the first thing you’ll find is a quick comparison of the best satellite internet providers.
Satellite internet provider comparisons
| HughesNet | Starlink | Viasat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max speeds | 25Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 20-250Mbps download, 5-30Mbps upload | 12-150Mbps download, 3Mbps upload |
| Lowest monthly cost | $50-$125 | $110 | $70-$300 |
| Regular monthly rate | $65-$175 | $110-$135 | $100-$400 |
| Contract | 2 years | None | 2 years |
| Monthly equipment costs | $15 or $350 one-time purchase | $599 one-time purchase (or $2,500 for Premium) | $15 or $300 one-time purchase |
| Data allowance | 15-100GB | 1TB | 40-300GB |
Let’s dig a little deeper to see what each satellite internet provider brings to the table.
Best satellite internet providers of 2022
The consistency of HughesNet’s download speeds earns it high marks.Although HughesNet’s maximum download speed is not as fast as that of other satellite internet providers, it is available to all customers in all remote areas. This is in contrast to the speeds offered by other providers, which may vary from location to location.In addition, a broadband report from the Federal Communications Commission found that HughesNet outperformed all other participating providers in providing actual median download speeds at 150 percent or higher of the advertised speed.
Things to think about?HughesNet has no hard data limits, but once you reach your monthly data limit, its speeds will drop to 1 to 3 megabits per second.In J.D. Power’s 2021 US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study, HughesNet also came in last place for overall customer satisfaction in the South.
HughesNet satellite internet plans and pricing
| HughesNet Gen5 | HughesNet Gen5 | HughesNet Gen5 | HughesNet Gen5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max speeds | 25Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 25Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 25Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 25Mbps download, 3Mbps upload |
| Starting monthly cost | $65 | $50 | $75 | $125 |
| Regular monthly rate (after six months) | $65 | $75 | $100 | $175 |
| Contract | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| Data allowance | 15GB | 30GB | 50GB | 100GB |
You can select the internet plan that best meets your requirements with Viasat satellite internet.Some of those internet service plans are slower than HughesNet, while others are faster.Packages also come with more data, up to 300GB, but if you go over your monthly data limit, like with HughesNet, your data may be “deprioritized.”
Last year, Viasat veered off course when it came to equipment.In the past, you couldn’t buy equipment from Viasat.When you consider that Starlink devices currently cost $599 and HughesNet charges $350 for purchasing equipment (which includes installation costs), that might have appeared to be an advantage.However, this also meant that you were unable to avoid paying an additional $15 per month for equipment rental.However, Viasat equipment can now be purchased for $300 once, which is less than its rivals.
New Viasat satellite internet plans and pricing (not available in all markets)
| Choice 25 | Choice 50 | Choice 75 | Choice 100 | Choice 125 | Choice 150 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max speeds | 25Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 50Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 75Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 100Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 125Mbps download, 3Mbps upload | 150Mbps download, 3Mbps upload |
| Starting monthly cost | $70 | $90 | $150 | $200 | $300 | $300 |
| Regular monthly rate (after 3 months) | $100 | $150 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $400 |
| Contract | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| Data allowance | 40GB | 60GB | 100GB | 150GB | 300GB | 300GB |
Elon Musk, an eccentric billionaire, is making significant progress with his company SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet project when he is not making headlines for his turbulent Twitter buyout.Although there is a waiting list and just over 400,000 active users worldwide, this satellite provider is still in its infancy, according to CNET’s John Kim. However, the early results are encouraging.
First, at 100 to 250Mbps, the max download speeds are higher than HughesNet and Viasat’s. It also features a latency of between 25 and 50 milliseconds, compared to HughesNet and Viasat’s more typical range of 450 to 700ms.
Second, Starlink keeps things simple by offering only Starlink and Starlink Premium satellite internet plans.The Premium tier, which was just announced and should be available soon, comes with a different satellite dish and equipment for faster download speeds, but it also costs a lot more.
Lastly, Starlink does not require a two-year contract, despite the fact that the equipment fee of $599 and the staggering $2,500 for Starlink Premium are more expensive than those charged by Viasat or HughesNet.In December, it did put in place a 1TB cap that was still generous. After that, users’ speeds will be slowed down until the end of the billing cycle.These are significant upgrades for anyone still using satellite internet, especially when you take into account the respectable upload speed.These facts are intriguing aspects of the pitch that could assist in distinguishing Starlink from the competition, but they could undoubtedly change as the company expands.
Starlink satellite internet plans and pricing
| Plan | Max speeds | Starting monthly cost | Regular monthly rate | Contract | Data allowance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlink | 100Mbps download, 15Mbps upload | $110 | $110 | None | Unlimited |
| Starlink Premium | 250Mbps download, 30Mbps upload | $135 | $135 | None | Unlimited |
What’s on the horizon for satellite internet providers?
Ookla speed test data from the third quarter of 2022 showed that Starlink was consistently the fastest satellite provider.In the United States, its median download speed was 53 Mbps, while Viasat came in second with 28 Mbps.HughesNet came in last with a download speed of 21 Mbps.It is safe to say that Starlink is beginning to redefine expectations regarding the performance of satellite internet.
Another multibillionaire, Jeff Bezos, may also cause further disruption, as Amazon’s Project Kuiper also aims to enter the market.Even though Project Kuiper’s prototype delivered speeds of up to 400 Mbps in recent iterations, it was nowhere near Starlink’s current state.
The innovations generated by low-Earth-orbit satellites will only be one component of a larger strategy to improve the delivery of the internet to the millions of homes that are still without a dependable broadband source.We’ll keep this post refreshed as your choices (ideally) get to the next level.
Satellite internet providers FAQs
Is Starlink better than Viasat?
Possibly, yes.If you currently use Starlink’s internet service, your broadband connection has higher maximum download and upload speeds than Viasat’s (250Mbps/20Mbps versus 150Mbps/3Mbps).
Additionally, Starlink has a lower latency than Viasat (25-50ms vs. 450-700ms), making gaming and other online activities that require quick response times much easier on Starlink.
Having said that, more than 500,000 potential customers have yet to give Starlink a shot.If you go to the website right now and try to get in line, you’ll see a message that says “some orders may take 6 months or more to fulfill” and that some parts of the country won’t be ready for service until late 2023.According to the most recent reports released by the FCC, that is remarkably unhelpful for the estimated 14 million Americans who do not yet have access to broadband service.
Therefore, Viasat wins because it is currently available to more than 120 million US households.Imagine that you live in a rural or underserved area with few internet connectivity options.In that case, Viasat can connect you, and Starlink might be an option in the future, but it’s not right away.Do all satellite internet providers have data caps?
Technically, HughesNet and Viasat do not. Each claims to offer “unlimited data” because neither charges overage fees, but each has a set data limit for its plans. If you hit that data limit before the end of your monthly billing cycle, there won’t be monetary penalties, but you will experience much slower, throttled speeds for the remainder of that month. So your data may not be capped, but I would call that practice limiting.
Starlink used to offer truly unlimited data. However, that significant advantage over its competitors changed this December when Starlink introduced its own data cap. The limit will be a sizable 1 terabyte of data per month (well above the data limits of HughesNet and Viasat), but it’s still a significant change from unlimited data.
Will Starlink be faster than HughesNet?
Yes. Starlink claims that customers can expect download speeds from 20 to 250Mbps. CNET’s John Kim tested the service and experienced average download speeds of around 78Mbps.
HughesNet, which relies on satellites in a much higher orbit than that Starlink uses — which means data takes a little longer to travel back and forth — offers plans with maximum download speeds of 25Mbps. That’s faster than some of the plans available with Viasat but no match for Starlink.
