Best Satellite Internet Providers of 2023

About 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 geostationary 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.

There are two main satellite providers, with several LEO satellite providers entering the market. Viasat gives you multiple options for internet plans with varying download speeds and amounts of data. HughesNet’s options are simple—all plans offer similar download speeds and only differ in the amount of data. Starlink offers lower latency and higher speeds, but it’s still experiencing difficulty in meeting demand.

Viasat: Optimal choice for enhanced speeds and expanded data capacity

If you need a fast, reliable satellite internet plan regardless of cost, Viasat is your best option. It has the fastest speeds available for traditional satellite internet.

When choosing a Viasat plan, there are two main things to consider: download speed and data. If you are willing to sign up for one of the more expensive plans, you can get the best of both and the most value for your dollar. However, if you don’t use the internet as much, you can get by with a cheaper plan and save some money.

In general, we don’t recommend the Viasat plans with the lowest data allotments. Even background tasks like software updates can eat up your entire month’s quota in one shot. Unless you have a good grasp on exactly how much data you use among all your devices, we suggest erring on the side of a larger data plan so you don’t end up spending even more money adding additional data to your account.

Viasat Plans and Pricing

Is Viasat fast?

Viasat is currently neck-and-neck with Starlink for the highest advertised speeds of any residential satellite internet plan as the latter’s speed estimates have been revised down due to network congestion. This makes Viasat one of the fastest satellite providers in North America.

Viasat plans differ from each other in both download speed and data. Only its fastest and most expensive plans reach the same maximum speeds as Starlink and at a higher cost with lower data caps. We don’t recommend the Viasat plans with the lowest data limits, as many customers will find themselves needing to buy additional data on a regular basis simply to keep up with software updates and similar tasks.

Viasat also has higher latency than Starlink, which can cause massive lag issues for real-time activities like video chat. This is an issue inherent in geosynchronous (GSO) satellite internet, not just Viasat.

HughesNet: Best for affordable plans

HughesNet plans have a download speed range of 15-50Mbps, 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 plans. Both plan types let you choose how much monthly data you want, though you can always purchase more if you run low.

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 buy more data, choosing a plan that better meets your household data usage saves you money in the long run.

All HughesNet plans also include 50GB of Bonus Zone data. This data stash is available during low-traffic hours at night—between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. This isn’t just a huge benefit for night owls, it also gives the option to plan out software updates and large downloads so they don’t count against the normal data caps.

HughesNet Plans, Pricing, and Speeds

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 plans. 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.

HughesNet plans also include 50GB of Bonus Zone data. This extra data is only available during low-traffic hours at night—between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. This is handy for night owls, but more importantly, it gives the option to plan out software updates and large downloads so they don’t count against the normal data caps.

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.

Although you can sign up for Starlink anywhere in the US, the company is struggling to scale up to a nationwide operation. Those currently signing up are experiencing months-long waits before their equipment arrives, with no help from customer support.¹⁰

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. New customers often have to wait months to get their equipment. 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 may not live up to the hype (at least not yet), but it fills a need for rural customers who need a flexible, low-latency internet option.

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 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 up to 100Mbps 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.

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.

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