Hughesnet + Viasat — Honest 2026 Review of Geostationary Satellite
Hughesnet (now part of EchoStar) and Viasat — the two major US geostationary satellite ISPs — were the only rural-internet options outside of dial-up + DSL for 20+ years. Then Starlink launched residential LEO satellite in 2021 and T-Mobile + Verizon expanded fixed-wireless 5G. The result: Hughesnet and Viasat are now last-resort options. The fundamental physics issue — geostationary satellites are 22,236 miles away, causing 500-700 ms latency — makes video calls + gaming useless. If you can possibly get Starlink, T-Mobile 5G, or any terrestrial alternative, do that first.
The short version
- Who: Hughesnet (EchoStar subsidiary) + Viasat (publicly traded as VSAT).
- Footprint: National. Available anywhere with sky view.
- Tech: Geostationary satellite (high orbit). High latency.
- Speeds: 25-150 Mbps down, 3-10 Mbps up.
- Latency: 500-700 ms — kills video calls + gaming.
- Recommendation: 🔴 RED — last resort only. Check Starlink + T-Mobile 5G first.
Hughesnet + Viasat pricing — 2026
Verified at hughesnet.com and viasat.com May 2026.
| Provider | Plan | Speed | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hughesnet | Select | 25 / 3 Mbps | $50/mo (Y1) / $75 retail |
| Hughesnet | Elite | 50 / 5 Mbps | $75/mo (Y1) / $100 retail |
| Viasat | Choice 25 | 25 / 3 Mbps | $70/mo |
| Viasat | Unleashed 150 | 150 / 10 Mbps | $120/mo |
Both providers also charge $15-25/mo for equipment lease or $349-449 to buy outright.
Why Starlink replaced geostationary satellite
- Latency: Starlink 25-50 ms · Hughesnet/Viasat 500-700 ms.
- Speed: Starlink 50-250 Mbps · Hughesnet 25-50 Mbps typical.
- Weather: Both affected, but LEO recovers faster from weather events.
- Price: Comparable — Starlink $120, Viasat $120, Hughesnet $75.
Rick's installer take
Hughesnet and Viasat made sense in 2010. In 2026, they're the last-resort option only if Starlink can't get a clear sky view at your address, or T-Mobile/Verizon 5G doesn't reach. The fundamental physics — 22,236 miles of orbital altitude — makes everything modern web-app dependent feel sluggish. Cancel the legacy geo-sat subscription, check our Coverage Grid for alternatives.
How to check alternatives at your address
- Visit our Coverage Grid first — see what terrestrial + LEO options exist at your ZIP.
- Test Starlink at starlink.com.
- Test T-Mobile 5G at t-mobile.com/home-internet.
- Only fall back to Hughesnet/Viasat if none of the above work at your address.