Viasat raises the bar for satellite internet speeds all across America - and beyond

Viasat Internet’s super-fast new speed options make it an attractive choice for areas not well served by other internet providers

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When Viasat set out to launch an all-new satellite to improve coverage across the U.S. and beyond, one big goal was to rethink internet speeds of at least 25 Mbps as a basic necessity — not a luxury. In many areas, people didn’t feel like they had much of a choice, since existing providers were offering substandard service.

The fact is, phone company DSL and local wireless providers (known as “WISPs”) often only offer speeds in the 5-10 Mbps range — and sometimes even lower in rural areas. There are many different reasons for why DSL, WISP, and cable providers don’t offer higher speeds in all areas. But no explanation is likely to satisfy frustrated customers, who continually hear about super-fast speeds being offered elsewhere.

Enter Viasat’s new service plans, which feature unlimited data plans and the fast speeds people need to stream video, connect multiple devices, and just browse the web faster. In other words, the new plans let people enjoy the kinds of speeds previously available only in metro areas.

The fastest satellite internet speed

Viasat sets a new standard for “internet anywhere” by powering the fastest satellite internet ever offered in the U.S. With download speeds between 25 and 100 Mbps, Viasat lets subscribers meet all of their home and business broadband needs thanks to service that’s up to 10 times faster than typical DSL. Even better, Viasat now offers unlimited data plans across the country.

If you’re in an area not well served by other technologies, think about the new Viasat Internet plans as a true broadband option now available. And compare what we offer to your other choices:

  • DSL: Phone companies often have little incentive to improve internet service, and in many areas, they’re abandoning it completely. Some providers of DSL have turned their investments to fiber and LTE rather than upgrading existing DSL. Although that may be fine for subscribers in select cities and surrounding areas, it doesn’t help millions of others left to suffer with slow, copper DSL. Viasat speed options are often 10 times faster, making it an attractive alternative to DSL.
  • WISPs: Local, tower-based wireless services offer download speeds often below 10 Mbps. WISPs also require line-of-sight (LoS) to create good network connections and maintain signal strength. The LoS requirement is simply not feasible for most areas where trees, buildings, and hills can block or downgrade wireless connections. Since Viasat service comes from satellite, LoS is rarely an issue.
  • Mobile phone/hotspot: When a mobile phone leaves a house, so does the internet. That means mobile isn’t a great option as your only home internet service. The quality of that internet comes down to cell service quality where the house is located: Sketchy cell service will mean bad internet service. Even with great cell coverage, “unlimited” LTE plans are limited by their small print: Service can be slowed after using only 20 GB/month or so. Viasat is designed to be a reliable home service, featuring unlimited data plans for the kinds of things you’re likely to do at home, like stream movies.
  • Cable/fiber: Although this type of internet service can indeed be fast, tens of millions of Americans live outside the areas where these services are offered. And since our service is available in all 50 states, there’s little chance you’ll be left behind.

Going beyond yesterday’s satellite internet

Today’s Viasat Internet combines the reliable broadband speed and unlimited data needed for watching streaming video over services like Netflix. Another must-have of internet service is to make sure that subscribers can use all of their devices without worrying about a slowdown in service quality.

You may have heard about higher latency being an issue with satellite internet. While it’s true that some types of online games or VPN services are affected by higher latency, we’ve made great strides to offset the more common impacts on webpage loading times. With Viasat Web Acceleration service, predictive intelligence makes for snappy page loading far beyond satellite internet of the past. Basically, Viasat’s web acceleration servers use innovative technology to accurately “guess” what subscribers need on the web and then have those things ready to go to accelerate load times — even before receiving a specific command from a Viasat satellite.

So we hope anyone suffering from slow internet speeds now know they do have a choice. If you’re outside of high-speed cable or fiber zones, you shouldn’t have to roll the dice or wait years for the right service to support your internet needs.

Reliable, high-speed satellite service powered by Viasat can get the job done from just about anywhere.

Learn more about Viasat Internet service.

Depending on the specific unlimited data service plan available at your location, after you use the following amount of data, we may prioritize your data behind other customers during network congestion: Bronze 12 (35 GB or 40 GB, depending on your specific plan); Silver 12 (45 GB); Gold 12 (65 GB); Silver 25 (60 GB); Gold 30 (100 GB); Gold 50 (100 GB); and Platinum 100 (150 GB).” Speeds are “up to,” are not guaranteed, and will vary.


Debbie Anderson
Debbie Anderson is a senior content writer at Viasat, based out of our Carlsbad, CA office.