Viasat Home Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, Speed and Availability

Unavailable in Provider unavailable in 90001

Viasat Home Internet rating

How we calculated our rating

Pros

• Great availability in rural areas
• Max speeds faster than most rural providers
• No data overage fees
• Viasat continues to improve top download speeds

Cons

• High prices that increase after just three months
• Speeds no better than 12Mbps in some areas
• High latency and service disruptions are common with satellite internet

Viasat Internet review

Satellite internet can be frustrating to home internet users. With middling average download speeds, data caps, expensive equipment costs and contract requirements, satellite internet providers often get a bad reputation. However, there is one thing that satellite internet does best, and that is availability.

According to the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission, over 99% of the US population has access to satellite internet. Compared to the likes of Hughesnet, Viasat may prove to be a decent option. With speeds maxing out at 150 megabits per second, you'll likely find faster speeds and higher data allowances with Viasat than Hughesnet. Plus, Viasat features a singular plan, offering unlimited data and a no-contract service. All pretty straightforward, right? Let's peel back the curtain and discuss some details you should know before signing up.

If you're either living or moving to a rural area soon, chances are you're giving Viasat a good look. Satellite internet is on the expensive side of home internet and speeds are usually slower than what you'd get with cable or fiber internet, but the good news is that you can count on satellite internet reaching nearly every nook and cranny across all 50 states -- and you won't need a phone line, coaxial cable or anything similar for service.

Viasat's newest all-in-one plan offers customers faster speeds and higher data allowances. Viasat Unleashed, introduced early in March 2024, features attractive new perks, like higher data allowances and a pivot away from contract service.

Viasat is not perfect by any means. First and foremost, the monthly rates are much higher than what you'll see from most other providers. Then there are the slow speeds. Admittedly, Viasat speeds are faster than Hughesnet and DSL service in many areas, but according to the broadband label on Viasat's website, customers typically see speeds below the maximum of 150Mbps. Even if the fastest Viasat speeds are available, 150Mbps is still well short of what you'd get with cable or fiber.

Viasat still may be one of your best rural internet options, especially if DSL service is painfully slow and cable internet isn't available.

Viasat plans and pricing 

Viasat's newest all-in-one plan is changing the way customers experience its services. More importantly, Viasat is joining the list of other ISPs that offer a no-contract service.

Pricing is simple: there are no price increases after a year. Expect a steep monthly bill with service that starts at around either $100 or $130 but can reach up to $150, depending on your location. Unfortunately, you can't provide your own equipment as Viasat requires either a rental (an additional $15 monthly) or an up-front purchase of $250.

Besides a $1.23 "Administrative Cost Recovery Fee," there shouldn't be any surprise junk fees on your monthly bill.

Viasat touts that this new plan features unlimited data, but don't be fooled. Like all Viasat plans in the past, the Viasat Unleashed plan comes with a data boundary, and if you exceed it in a given month, you can expect Viasat to throttle your speeds. More on that in just a bit.

Viasat

What you get depends on where you live

I've mentioned it a few times, but it's worth repeating: Viasat speeds and data allowances vary by location. Depending on where you live, download speeds of 12, 25, 30, 50 or up to 150Mbps may be available. The one constant is upload speed, which should be up to 6Mbps in all service areas across all plans.

As mentioned before, on the data side, the Viasat Unleashed data plan features unlimited data. The caveat? Customers who exceed 850GB of data within 30 days can expect slower speeds. On the bright side, you won't be billed for going over your data. Plus, according to the latest report from OpenVault, the average small household only consumes around 606GB of data monthly, but larger homes that have four or more members use over 1TB of data. In other words, smaller households may not even hit Viasat's data threshold, but if more users are in the home, they should look into managing their data usage.

Where are the fastest Viasat speeds available?

Viasat's satellite internet plans are available across all lower 50 states as well as Hawaii and parts of Alaska.

FCC/Mapbox

Like other satellite internet providers, Viasat extends services across all states -- including through parts of Alaska and Hawaii. Although Viasat doesn't offer 100% coverage throughout all of the country, Viasat offers coverage through many rural areas, making it a likely option for rural residents.

What to expect with Viasat internet plans

The good news is that Viasat's new plan does not include annual term agreements, so you don't have to worry about a price hike down the line or a penalty for canceling service early as there are no early termination fees. Viasat does require a Wi-Fi equipment lease fee of $15 per month, which is average compared to other providers. You can't get rid of that fee by using your own equipment, but you can buy Viasat's equipment outright for a one-time fee of $250. That chunk of change can be tough to part with upfront, but purchasing the equipment will pay for itself after just over a year. 

When deciding whether to rent your Viasat Wi-Fi equipment or pay for it upfront, remember that installation can also add to your upfront costs. Professional installation is free and available to customers with qualifying credit in select areas.

If your backyard view looks something like this scenic display in rural New Mexico, then there's a good chance that your broadband options are pretty limited. In a case like that, Viasat might be the right choice to get your home connected.

Eric Mack/CNET

How does Viasat compare?

Let's start with the other widely available satellite option, Hughesnet. Compared to Hughesnet, Viasat generally offers faster speeds (unless your address is only available for 12Mbps) and higher data allowances for around the same monthly price.

Hughesnet pricing ranges from $50 to $95 a month, and plans come with download speeds between 50 to 100Mbps and upload speeds up to 5Mbps. You'll get less data with Hughesnet, as plans only come with 100 to 200GB per month, but Hughesnet customers have the option to buy additional data throughout the month, while Viasat customers don't.

Since Starlink entered the picture, it has changed and shaken up the broadband world by offering faster speeds, ultimately placing pressure on its competitors. According to Viasat's most recent letter to shareholders, Viasat has over 228,000 customers, a significant decline from its 603,000 customers in 2020.

Viasat vs. everything else

Viasat and Hughesnet will rarely be your only internet options unless you're in a remote, rural location, although fixed wireless, cellular and DSL internet are also competitive choices for internet in rural areas. 

Cellular internet, including 5G home internet service from providers like Verizon and T-Mobile, could offer faster speeds, more data and lower latency than Viasat internet service. Verizon 5G offers speeds up to 1,000Mbps in some locations and comes with unlimited data starting at $70 monthly. On the other hand, T-Mobile Home Internet offers speeds of up to 245Mbps and unlimited data for $50 a month. 

Viasat is faster than many DSL providers, including some AT&T DSL plans, which have maximum download speeds of 10 to 50Mbps. DSL internet is often cheaper than Viasat, but available speeds are a mixed bag. In some locations, DSL providers like CenturyLink, Frontier and Windstream can only deliver speeds ranging from 1 to 10Mbps. DSL could offer speeds up to 100Mbps or higher in other locations for lower prices than Viasat's 100Mbps plan. Plus DSL providers also include truly unlimited data, or at the very least, higher data allowances than you'll get with Viasat plans.

In short, Viasat offers faster speeds and more data than Hughesnet in many areas, but it's possible that providers of other internet types could net you lower costs, faster speeds and more data. It all depends on what's available at your address, so explore all your internet options before committing to a particular provider or plan.

Viasat customer satisfaction is hard to gauge

The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power surveys do not include Viasat in their yearly customer satisfaction reports, so it's not difficult to imagine that Viasat's customer satisfaction falls short compared to other internet service providers.

Another source for gauging customer satisfaction, the Better Business Bureau, compiled over 2,000 complaints about Viasat in the last three years. Most of those complaints are what you'd expect to see for any internet service provider: service issues and unexpected fees. To Viasat's credit, it does appear the company makes an effort to respond to every complaint to further explain the situation or offer a resolution. Of the complaints, 362 were closed in the last 12 months.

Viasat earned a 1.04 rating on the BBB, which may seem dismal but compared to the low ratings for ISPs like AT&T (1) and Google Fiber (1.16), may indicate that internet providers on the BBB overall may earn low customer approval ratings.

The bottom line on Viasat internet

With speeds up to 150Mbps and more monthly data than you're likely to get from rival satellite provider Hughesnet, Viasat is a decent broadband option in areas where cable or fiber service is unavailable. Other internet types may offer faster speeds or more data for a lower cost in some locations, but in many rural areas, Viasat will be the better value -- just be prepared for relatively high upfront costs and monthly equipment fees.

Viasat internet FAQs