Viasat
Geostationary satellite with a no-contract Unleashed plan and Essentials from $39.99 for 12 months, but high latency and data-priority thresholds.
Viasat plans at a glance
Our verdict
Viasat is a fallback. It reaches almost any address with a clear view of the southern sky, but it's slow to respond and costs about $100/mo on Unleashed once the 12-month intro price ends. The cheaper Essentials plan slows down after 150 GB, which a household that streams daily can use up in a week or two.
Unleashed is month-to-month with no early termination fee; Essentials needs a 12- or 24-month term. A monthly equipment lease applies, and latency on Viasat's geostationary satellites runs 600 ms and up.
Viasat has lost most of its US home subscribers since Starlink launched. With Starlink now from $55/mo and much lower latency, Viasat makes sense mainly where Starlink can't see enough sky.
What it's like to use
The 600 ms or more of delay comes from the signal travelling to a satellite about 22,000 miles up and back. Streaming, browsing and email work normally once things load. Video calls have a noticeable lag, so people talk over each other. Fast online games and anything that needs a quick response, like some remote-work tools and VPNs, are hard to use. Upload speeds of a few Mbps also make sending large files slow.
Already have Viasat? Run our free speed test on a wired computer to see whether you get the speed you pay for, and see which speed test to use if results don't match.
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.
Frequently asked
How much does Viasat cost?
Essentials is $39.99/mo for the first 12 months, then $69.99. Unleashed is $69.99/mo for the first 12 months, then $99.99. Equipment is $15/mo to lease, or $250 once for a lifetime lease. Both intro prices are a $30/mo discount for the first 12 months.
How fast is Viasat?
Up to about 50 Mbps on Essentials and up to 150 Mbps on Unleashed in select areas. Viasat's labels list typical speeds of about 28–51 Mbps down and 5–9 Mbps up.
Does Viasat have a data cap?
No hard cap. Essentials includes 150 GB of high-speed data, then unlimited standard data. Unleashed is deprioritized above about 360 GB and slowed further above about 850 GB.
Is there a contract?
Unleashed has no contract or early termination fee. Essentials needs a 12- or 24-month term, depending on the offer, and leaving early costs $15 for each month left.
Is Viasat available at my address?
Satellite service reaches almost anywhere with a clear southern view of the sky. Check your address for plans.
How do I cancel Viasat?
Call Viasat to cancel. Leaving Essentials before the term ends costs $15 for each month left; Unleashed has no fee. Return the modem and the transceiver on the dish within 30 days using the UPS kit Viasat sends, or you can be charged up to about $345. If you are switching, set up the new service first. Switching from Viasat to Starlink
Is Viasat going out of business?
No. Viasat is a large public company with most of its revenue from aviation, maritime and government work. Its home internet business has shrunk sharply, from about 603,000 US customers in 2020 to about 130,000 in 2026, but it still sells service in all 50 states.
Is Viasat better than Starlink?
For most households, no. Starlink has much lower latency and no data threshold on Residential, and usually costs less over two years. Viasat can make sense where Starlink can't see enough sky. Viasat vs. Starlink
About Viasat
Viasat, Inc. is a satellite company based in Carlsbad, California, founded in 1986. It has sold home internet since buying WildBlue in 2009, but most of its business is now in-flight Wi-Fi, ships and government work. Its US home customers have fallen from about 603,000 in 2020 to about 130,000 in March 2026 as many switched to Starlink.Viasat says its ViaSat-3 Flight 2 satellite, now in service, more than doubles its capacity, so speeds and plans may improve.
More guides on Viasat
Sources
- Plan pages and Broadband Facts labels from Starlink Residential, HughesNet, T-Mobile 5G Home, Viasat, checked Oct 2026
- Viasat Residential Customer Agreement v9.14 (terms, termination and equipment return); Viasat Fiber city pages
- Viasat annual report for fiscal 2026 (subscriber count as of March 31, 2026)
Prices and offers change often; confirm at your address before you order. How we research
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