Viasat Internet & Plan Comparison
Viasat is a well-diversified company -- not only do they deliver world-class satellite internet, but they use those same satellites to provide valuable defense and aviation connectivity. 15+ years ago, that sort of speed and flexibility from a painfully slow satellite would've been unthinkable. Nowadays, though, especially rural customers are happy to be able to access their new generation Viasat satellites.
Advantages
- Fastest satellite internet service
- Solid coverage in suburban/rural cities
- Data caps usually not enforced
Disadvantages
- Relatively high rates (vs terrestrial internet)
- Prices goes up after 90 days
Viasat coverage area
Viasat has five main satellites in orbit which cover the United Status (service date in parenthesis): Anik F2 (June 2005), WildBlue-1 (2007), ViaSat-1 (Jan 2012), ViaSat2 (Feb 2018) and ViaSat 3-Americas (early 2023). Viasat 1 was their original Ka-band satellite - performance was relatively slow and coverage spotty.
Launched a few years ago via partnership with Boeing, Viasat 2 dramatically increased speed, coverage and bandwidth. Most customers these days are on Viasat 2 and at speeds up to 100 Mbps, are usually pretty content. Viasat 3, set to launch any day now, will further increase all specs. Expect plans to start using that new technology sometime in 2024.
Viasat Internet Plans - plenty of options
Depending where you live in the country, you'll get to choose from two different sets of Viasat plans: Liberty and Unlimited. You may also be in a location that overlaps two satellites and lets you choose from both sets of plans (great leverage to get the best price possible).
Viasat Unlimited plans
The Unlimited Viasat plans are their newest and best packages. They also deliver the most value for the price. Can everyone get them? Nope, it all depends on your location. The good news is most of the country lives within the new territory.
- Download: 12 Mbps
- Upload: Up to 3 Mbps
- Data Allowance: 40 GB
- Contract: 2 years
- Up-front fees: $0
- Download: 25 Mbps
- Upload: Up to 3 Mbps
- Data Allowance: 60 GB /mo
- - stream/download any time of day
- - after 60 GB, you're slowed at times
- Contract: 2 years
- Up-front fees: $0
- Download: 30 Mbps
- Upload: Up to 3 Mbps
- Data Allowance: 100 GB /mo
- - stream/download any time of day
- - after 100 GB, you're slowed at times
- Contract: 2 years
- Up-front fees: $0
- Download: 50 Mbps
- Upload: Up to 3 Mbps
- Data Allowance: 300 GB /mo
- - stream/download any time of day
- - after 300 GB, you're slowed at times
- Contract: 2 years
- Up-front fees: $0
What happened to the Unlimited Platinum 100 plan?
It's still available but Viasat doesn't actively advertise it. For folks that need the most speed Viasat has, definitely ask your customer service representative about it. Availability depends on your location. If you're in a relatively sparse region, it may be available. If not, there are likely too many customers for them to be able to guarantee those speeds (and they'll recommend Choice 50 instead).
Viasat Liberty plans
The slightly older Viasat plans -- formerly known as Exede Internet-- are available to a smaller percentage of rural customers in the United States. Since Liberty customers access the internet via a slightly older satellite, speeds and bandwidth are a bit worse compared to Unlimited plans.
- Download: 12 Mbps
- Upload: Up to 3 Mbps
- Data Allowance: 12 GB
- Contract: 2 years
- Up-front fees: $0
- Download: 25 Mbps
- Upload: Up to 3 Mbps
- Data Allowance: 25 GB
- Contract: 2 years
- Up-front fees: $0
- Download: 50 Mbps
- Upload: Up to 3 Mbps
- Data Allowance: 50 GB
- Contract: 2 years
- Up-front fees: $0
Comparison of Viasat's plans
Let's take a closer look at all the Viasat packages. Assuming you qualify for the Unlimited/Choice plans and have a household of 3 or less, we typically recommend Unlimited Bronze 12 first. You'll get speeds of 12 Mbps and a monthly data cap of 40 GB. That's usually plenty for three. If you need more than 3 devices connected at a time or someone in your household is a heavy streamer, it's easy enough to upgrade to Choice 25 before the end of any billing cycle.
Viasat internet speeds
At max speeds, Viasat's new plans rival traditional cable internet. The big difference is the price you pay. As detailed in our Viasat review, it's the best service you can get in rural areas without cable or fiber internet. With download speeds of up to 100 Mbps, there's no shortage of tech with satellite internet anymore. Overall, in most cases, we recommended you go with cable internet first (assuming it's reliable). However, if you live someplace with few or poor internet options, definitely consider Viasat.
Does Viasat deliver on its promised speeds? In our tests, yes. We tested nearly all their plans, and they all peak at a minimum of 80% of the published bandwidth. Latency isn't bad, especially for satellite, but gamers may get a bit frustrated with the sight delay between click and (game) action. High FPS (frame-per-second) games still work with Viasat, just don't expect the split-second responsiveness you get with WiFi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Viasat and Exede the same company?
Yes. Viasat initially launched their internet service as Exede but phased out the Exede brand in 2017. All their plans are now under the Viasat brand. Over the last few years, customers with Exede plans were slowly transitioned to Viasat with no change in pricing.
How does Viasat compare to StarLink?
StarLink uses low Earth orbit satellites to deliver fast internet to a much smaller area of land. Since it's much closer to the planet's surface, it offers speeds of up to 200 Mbps (50% faster than Viasat). Latency is also better. The downside is coverage is still very limited. Only the lucky few to have a Starlink satellite above their county/state currently have access.
Do I have to agree to a 2-year contract?
Technically, no, but if you opt out of the 2-year agreement, you'll have to pay an up-front fee of at least $500.
Where to get Viasat
As of today, the following retailer is offering Viasat plans at the lowest price available...- ONLY $49.99/mo during intro offer, then $69.99/mo
- Download speeds of up to 12 Mbps
- Unlimited Data (may be throttled above 80 GB/mo)
- Perfect plan for 1-2 people
- STREAM up to 4 devices without issue
- Note: prices are locked in for 2 full years
