Unlimited satellite internet sounds so good.
Imagine yourself in a remote location surrounded by nature and having the ability to stream your favorite shows, surf the web and download anything at high speeds.
But do satellite internet companies really provide an unlimited service? What are data caps? How many people are using satellite internet these days?
Let’s check the 3 interesting facts about “unlimited” satellite internet.
Fact #1 – It’s getting more popular
Satellite internet is a convenient and sometimes the only way to access high-speed internet in remote locations.
Thanks to the way satellite internet works, it’s available almost in any location within the United States.
Every day people are most enthusiastic about this type of internet service. Close to 8.4 million households depend on this type of internet service.
It’s easy to install, the prices are competitive and you get unlimited data.
Currently, the two unlimited satellite internet providers in the U.S are HughesNet and Viasat.
They offer unlimited data on all of their plans, this means that you’ll be able to download all the data or information you need. But each one has a data cap or data threshold on their service.
Fact #2 – Satellite Internet is really unlimited
A lot of people don’t know that providers like Viasat and HughesNet offer unlimited data. The problem is that when you reach a certain amount of consumed data, your internet connection can change quite a bit.
Satellite Providers place these types of measures so everyone in a particular area can enjoy reliable service.
The data cap or threshold is a measurement of all the data that you have consumed within your current monthly billing cycle. After reaching this threshold the speed of the service changes.
In the case of Viasat, when you reach your threshold, your connection gets deprioritized.
This means that all of your internet requests are placed on a second-tier behind the ones that still haven’t reached their threshold. This may feel like the internet connection is slower but the speed remains the same.
HughesNet works in a similar fashion the difference is that when you reach your threshold, the speeds will slow down to 3 Mbps.
Even after reaching the threshold in both companies, you will still enjoy complete access to the internet.
Here you’ll find a quick comparison between the two companies:
Quick comparison
 |
 |
| Internet Speeds – 12 Mbps to 100 Mbps | Internet Speeds – 25 Mbps |
| Prices – Starting at $50 per month | Prices – Starting at $39.99 |
| Data Cap – Up to 100 GB per month | Data Cap – Up to 50 GB per month |
| No contract commitment | 2 year contract |
| Installation – 2 to 4 hours | Installation – 2 to 4 hours |
As you can see both companies have similar prices but Viasat offers the fastest speed in the market.
Regarding their data caps below, you’ll see their respective data threshold for each of their plans:
|
|
| Bronze 12 – Data cap at 40 GB per month | 10 GB – Data cap at 10 GB per month |
| Silver 25 – Data cap at 60 GB per month | 20 GB – Data cap at 20 GB per month |
| Gold 50 – Data cap at 100 GB per month | 30 GB – Data cap at 30 GB per month |
| Platinum 100 – Data cap at 100 GB per month | 50 GB – Data cap at 50 GB per month |
As you can see Viasat offers a better threshold on their plans. Remember that after reaching this threshold your data gets deprioritized, meaning that it enters into a second-tier behind the ones that haven’t reached their threshold. Speed will appear slower but it will not.
Fact #3 – It’s getting better
With satellite internet getting more customers per day, it’s getting more competitive. This translates to a decrease in prices and better features in the near future.
Both Viasat and HughesNet are launching new satellites in the next couple of years to widen their network and improve their service.
New companies like Starlink Satellite, owned by Elon Musk, plans to revolutionize the satellite internet industry by placing satellites closer to earth. This will benefit consumers a lot since they won’t experience latency on their internet connection.
Starlink Satellite service is expected to provide service to openly to consumers between 2021 and 2022.
Final Thoughts
Satellite internet service is getting better every day. It’s more expensive than Cable, DSL or Fiber high-speed internet but this will change within the next few years thanks to the competitive nature of this industry.
Remember that if you need assistance with deciding which is the best satellite internet option in your location, give us a phone call today.
Unlimited Satellite Internet FAQ
Is there any unlimited satellite internet?
Yes, both Viasat and HughesNet offer unlimited satellite internet. But both companies have “data threshold”, that once you reach them, the internet connections are slower.
Is HughesNet unlimited internet?
Yes, HughesNet offers unlimited internet. All of their plans have a 25 Mbps download speed but once you reach your monthly data cap, the speed is slow down to 3 Mbps.
Is Viasat unlimited internet?
Yes, Viasat offers unlimited satellite internet service. They have different speeds available ranging from 12 to 100 Mbps. If you reach your monthly data threshold, your internet connection gets deprioritized, meaning that it will be placed in a second-tier behind the ones that haven’t reach their threshold.
What is the best satellite internet you can get?
Currently, Viasat is the best option since it offers the fastest satellite internet speed. Ranging from 12 Mbps to 100 Mbps depending on the plan you choose.
