Best Satellite Internet
Adequate
Affordable
High
Widely available
Yes
Two years
Good
Reasonable
High
Widely available
Yes
Two years
Excellent
Highest
Low
Limited availability
After 1TB/day
None
Our Top Picks For the Best Satellite Internet
- HughesNet: Best for Budget
- Viasat: Best for Rural Communities
- Starlink: Best for Fast Download Speeds
- Starlink: Best for Online Gaming
- Starlink: Best No-Contract Option
Best Satellite Internet Reviews
Why we chose it: HughesNet offers the most affordable plans for satellite internet, and it often features good deals for new customers. Its coverage is also quite good, extending throughout North America and many parts of South America.
HughesNet is a good choice if you're looking for standard, straightforward satellite internet. Its max download speed is 25 Mbps, so while you won't be blown away by lightning fast speeds, you can still access the internet for everyday activities like browsing the web and streaming short videos. However, streaming high-definition video consumes a lot of data, so you may exceed your data limits quickly since HughesNet has smaller caps than other companies.
One of the biggest drawbacks to satellite internet is latency - the time it takes your signal to travel to the satellite and then return from the satellite to its intended destination. HughesNet offers Fusion plans, which combine wireless and satellite technology to help decrease latency. Although these plans are available only in select areas, HughesNet anticipates broader coverage in the coming year.
In addition to the low price of its plans, HughesNet frequently offers promotional pricing. If you don't see an offer online, you can ask a customer service agent. These promotions can help you save $10 or even $20 per month for a set amount of time.
Why we chose it: Viasat is the best option for people who need fast internet speeds for work or hobbies and don't live in areas where Starlink is available. With speeds of up to 100 Mbps, you'll likely have a much smoother experience using the internet than with the other major satellite internet provider.
Viasat is often compared to HughesNet (and vice versa) due to its similar coverage and plans. The former has a wider variety of plans that range from 12 Mbps to 100 Mbps, meaning you'll have access to higher speeds and more data overall. However, you may end up paying more relative to the amount of data you're getting on Viasat's lower-end plans. You will also see a big jump in the price of your plan after the three-month promotional period that you'll be stuck with for the remainder of your contract.
If you live in a rural area and you're preparing to shell out for one of Viasat's more expensive plans, keep in mind that top speeds may not be available if satellite strength to your location is weak. The company is trying to stay competitive with up-and-rising competitor Starlink by deploying three new ultra-high-capacity satellites, so signal strength may be stronger in the near future. This is definitely something you'll want to check out before you commit to a contract.
While Viasat claims to offer unlimited data on some of its plans, you'll still experience throttling if you exceed your data caps. This means that your connection will be deprioritized, so you can expect frustratingly low speeds. All things considered, Viasat is still the superior option for users in rural areas who need an established provider with higher speeds than what HughesNet can offer.
Why we chose it: Starlink is a newcomer to satellite internet, and it hit the scene with a lot of hype. It currently offers 1 TB data caps during daylight hours, the highest in the industry by far. It also provides the fastest speeds of any satellite internet provider, with plans ranging from 50 Mbps to 500 Mbps.
Starlink has a wide range of offerings, including residential, business and RV satellite internet. However, there's currently a waitlist for service, and the upfront costs are significant. Starlink's satellite is more expensive than HughesNet or Viasat's, and there's no option to lease the equipment.
That said, Starlink's stellar performance makes the provider a clear winner if it's available in your area and you're willing to pay for premium satellite internet. Starlink has much lower latency than HughesNet or Viasat because it uses low-Earth-orbit satellites instead of the geostationary satellites that other companies use. Geostationary satellites are much farther away, which increases the time it takes your signal to bounce around.
Despite its relatively superior performance, don't expect speeds comparable to DSL, cable or fiber internet options. Another issue you should be aware of is that Starlink's speeds and service are still prone to spottiness and outages. It's a young company, which makes performance hard to predict but it has a lot of potential for early adopters willing to take the risk and lucky enough to get service.
Why we chose it: Of the three major providers, Starlink is by far the best for online gaming — so long as it's available in your area. Other companies may begin to employ low-Earth orbit satellite technology soon, but Starlink is the only option for now.
While you may think you need super-fast speeds for gaming, it actually requires far less bandwidth than streaming and other demanding internet activities. You can effectively play many video games with 3 Mbps download speeds and 1 Mbps upload speeds. Given that even the slowest HughesNet plan offers that, it would seem like you should go with the cheapest option.
However, the real issue most online gamers face is the latency and lack of stability you'll experience with geostationary satellites. In addition to latency, packet loss and jitter also affect your gaming experience.
Packet loss occurs when data is lost in transit. If packets of data don't reach their destination, the receiver may not have all of the information needed to process a request, which can interrupt your gaming session.
Jitter refers to the variation in delay of when your data packets arrive. If they arrive at different times, it can cause inconsistencies in the data flow, leading to choppy or distorted audio or video. Latency, packet loss and jitter are all worse with geostationary satellites.
Why we chose it: Starlink is the only internet satellite company that doesn't require a contract. Both HughesNet and Viasat require a 2-year contract when you sign up, and getting out of either one is expensive.
Starlink doesn't require a contract currently, although this could change in the future. However, you do have to purchase your equipment rather than lease it. If you cancel your service, you may take a hit on your pre-purchased equipment.
Satellite Internet Guide
In today's connected world, internet access is more of a necessity than a luxury. Being online is something you may take for granted if you live in a city or large town, but many traditional utility companies do not offer internet service in remote and rural areas.
Satellite internet can fill in these gaps and provide service to areas via orbiting satellites. This guide will explain how satellite internet works and what you should consider before signing up for a service plan.
What Is Satellite Internet?
Satellite internet is a type of wireless internet service that's beamed down from satellites, as opposed to land-based services such as DSL, cable or fiber options. Land-based companies run lines underground to deliver data quickly and reliably. Running lines underground is expensive, so most companies won't invest in providing internet infrastructure to areas or communities without enough customers to recoup their upfront costs.
This leaves many people in remote areas without internet service. Fortunately, satellite internet service can provide internet to customers in rural areas without the need to run wires underground.
How Does Satellite Internet Work?
Satellite internet works by transmitting data from a network of satellites orbiting in space to and from a satellite dish at your location. An internet service provider (ISP) will launch a satellite into space - Starlink launched 50 recently - and the signal is transmitted through those satellites to your receiver.
Once you've signed up for a service, the process works like this:
- Your computer sends a request to your receiver (such as a request for a webpage).
- Your satellite dish sends the request to the nearest orbiting satellite.
- The orbiting satellite transmits the signal to the ISP's network operation center, which is connected to the internet.
- The operation center sends the requested data back to the orbiting satellite.
- The orbiting satellite sends the data to your receiver.
- Your receiver sends the data to your computer.
As you can see, it's a much more complicated process than internet connections over cables. This complex process is why satellite internet is generally less reliable and slower than most other options. However, satellite internet is better than no internet, which is what many remote places would experience otherwise.
Why Aren't There More Satellite Internet Providers?
Given the dizzying array of providers offering land-based internet, mobile service, cable, and other utilities, you might be surprised to learn that there are only three major satellite internet providers in the United States. Granted, some recent mergers pared the number of providers down even more, but the number of satellite internet providers was small even before these mergers. There are several reasons why there are so few providers, including:
- High barrier to entry: It's expensive to build and launch satellites. The high upfront investment prevents many companies from offering services.
- Tight regulations: You can't just launch a satellite whenever you want. Only a limited number of frequencies are available, and the government controls who uses them.
- Low demand: Since satellite internet is inferior to other options and most people can get access through land-based ISPs, there isn't much demand for satellite internet.
It's worth noting that some new satellite internet providers are planning to offer services soon. Amazon's Project Kuiper plans to compete with Starlink by launching over 3000 low-Earth orbit satellites and providing broadband satellite internet.
Why Does The Weather Affect Satellite Internet?
Satellite internet depends on the transmission of signals from your receiver to the satellite. Anything that interferes with these signals will interfere with your internet service. It isn't just weather that can block your signal, however: anything that comes between your receiver and the satellite can block your signal. This includes trees, buildings, snow or even clouds.
This connection is also why your receiver needs to face south. Geostationary satellites orbit synchronously with the earth and they're located near the equator. If you're in the northern hemisphere, your receiver needs an unobstructed view of the southern sky to send and receive signals to geostationary satellites.
How Do Satellite Internet Speeds Compare To Other Types Of Internet Speeds?
Internet speed is the amount of time it takes a set amount of data to transmit from your device to a server and from a server to your device. Internet speed limits what you can do on the internet. It's measured in megabits per second (Mbps). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband speeds as 25 Mbps downloads and 3 Mbps uploads. All major satellite internet providers can provide those speeds. Currently, Starlink offers the fastest satellite internet speeds in its expensive business plan. However, the 500 Mbps it provides is still half the speed of the 1000 Mbps available in many cities.
Higher internet speed provides many benefits such as:
- Faster loading
- Faster downloads
- Fewer dropped connections
- Better quality streaming
- Support for more users on the same network
The typical maximum internet speed of different types of internet include:
- Fiber: 6000 Mbps
- Cable: 1000 Mbps
- DSL: 100 Mbps
- 5G: 1000 Mbps
- 4G LTE: 100 Mbps
- Satellite: 100 Mbps
- Fixed wireless: 50 Mbps
What Speeds Do You Need For Different Types Of Internet Activities?
Not all internet activities require the same amount of speed. If you only use the internet to send emails and check the weather, you'll need a lot less speed than if you stream HD movies. To understand internet speed, you need to understand the two different types of internet speed: download and upload.
Download speed is used when data travels from servers on the internet to your device. Download speed governs how fast you can:
- Streaming music and videos
- Scrolling through social media sites
- Reading blogs
- Downloading files from websites
Upload speed is used when data travels from your device to the internet. Upload speed affects how fast you can:
- Post to social media
- Participate in a video call
- Livestream a video
You generally need more download speed than upload speed. The more data you're transmitting or receiving, the higher speed you need. You also need more speed for more devices.
With an internet speed of up to 5 Mbps, you can:
- Do internet searches
- Check and send email
- Stream HD shows on one device
With an internet speed of 5 to 40 Mbps, you can:
- Play online games
- Stream HD shows on several devices
- Use one or two smart devices
With an internet speed of 40 to 100 Mbps, you can:
- Quickly download large files
- Play multiplayer online games
- Use three to five smart devices
- Stream 4K videos on several devices
With an internet speed of 100 to 500 Mbps, you can:
- Stream 4K videos on more than five devices
- Run more than five smart devices
- Download huge files quickly
With an internet speed of 500 to 1000 Mbps, you can:
- Stream 4K videos on more than 10 devices
- Run over 10 smart devices
- Use multiple devices with no loss of speed or quality
What To Consider When Choosing A Satellite Internet Provider
Although your internet satellite options are limited by some factors outside of your control, you should consider some additional factors before you commit to a service provider.
Your internet usage
The first factor you should consider is your internet use. If you live alone and only use your computer occasionally, you should consider different features than if you work from home, binge watch your favorite shows and have a houseful of teenagers who are glued to their smartphones. Think about why you use (or want to use) the internet. How many computers, smartphones and smart devices will be simultaneously connected to your network?
Connection speeds
As discussed above, your internet usage will influence the amount of connection speed you need. The more data you transfer, the higher your connection speed will need to be. If you live in a rural area, you may rely more on your internet than someone living in a more metropolitan area for working, shopping, and accessing other services.
HughesNet maxes out at 25 Mbps. Although HughesNet has slower maximum connection speeds than Viasat or Starlink, 25 Mbps may be more than enough for what you need. There's no need to pay for faster connection speed if you'll never use it.
Equipment and installation costs
Viasat offers free installation to new customers, and you can install Starlink yourself. HughesNet provides free installation if you purchase your equipment upfront for $449.99. If you'd prefer to lease your equipment for $14.99 monthly, you'll have to pay a $99 activation fee.
Viasat charges $9.99 monthly to lease the equipment, or you can opt for a lifetime lease for $299.99.
You'll need to spend $499 to buy equipment from Starlink, and there's no option to lease it. If you feel confident that you'll stay with the same provider long-term, you may be better off buying your equipment. If you aren't sure or plan to move, you may want to lease it from a provider other than Starlink.
Contract terms
Both HughesNet and Viasat require 2-year contract terms. Starlink doesn't require a contract, but you'll probably want to stay with them long enough to make the initial investment in equipment worth it.
Available discounts and promotions
HughesNet provides promotional discounts to new customers. Viasat provides discounted pricing for the first three months, but make sure you understand how much you'll be paying after the initial promotional period. Starlink very rarely offers discounts or promotions, so plan on playing full price if you go with them.
What Do I Need To Access Satellite Internet?
Each provider may have different requirements, but in general, you'll need the following to get satellite internet service:
- A satellite receiver. Also known as a "dish" or parabolic receiver, it receives data transmissions from the orbiting satellite. Some receivers can be as small as two feet in diameter, but others may be as large as 10 feet in diameter. The size you need will depend on the service provider you choose and your location.
- A modem to connect your router or computer to the satellite dish. The modem connects the signals from the satellite into a format that's recognizable to your device.
- A router if you are connecting more than one device to your modem. Routers allow multiple devices to use a modem.
- A power source. You'll need access to electricity for all of your components to work.
- A plan with an internet service provider to connect to the internet.
- An amplifier. In some cases, an amplifier can be useful. It boosts the signal and can improve the quality of a weak signal. An amplifier isn't always needed or even useful, so make sure you check with your ISP before you buy one.
Satellite Internet FAQ
How We Chose The Best Satellite Internet
Our methodology for choosing the best satellite internet providers included the following factors:
- The availability of service
- The price, including the monthly subscription price as well as equipment and installation costs
- The connection speeds
- The data caps and how much data is throttled after you exceed the connection speed
- The reliability of service
- Contract terms
