Viasat Internet Review
A decent option if you want faster speeds than DSL but can’t get fiber
Viasat
◊ Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey.
Data effective 5/20/2022. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*For first 3 months. Offer available to new qualifying customers. One-time standard installation fee may be due at checkout. Minimum 24-month service term required. Equipment lease fee is $12.99/mo. Taxes apply. Service is not available in all areas. Offer may be changed or withdrawn at any time.
Our Viasat internet review
Viasat has long offered the fastest speeds available to satellite customers, though LEO (low-Earth orbit) projects like Starlink can now reach even faster speeds. Although Viasat has lost the title of fastest satellite internet, it’s a well-established company that can get new customers online quickly—something that LEO providers are struggling to do.
Pros
- Faster speeds
- More data
- More plan options
Cons
- Extra data expires
- Introductory prices go up
Compare Viasat internet plans and pricing
| Package | Promotional price* | Speed | View on Viasat site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Bronze 12 | $69.99/mo. | Up to 12 Mbps | |
| Unlimited Silver 25 | $84.99/mo. | Up to 25 Mbps | |
| Unlimited Gold 50 | $99.99/mo. | Up to 50 Mbps | |
| Unlimited Platinum 100 | $149.99/mo. | Up to 100 Mbps |
Data as of 5/20/2022. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Promotional price is for the first 3 months. Regular internet rate applies after 3 months. One-time installation fee may apply. Equipment lease fee is $12.99/mo. Taxes apply. Minimum 24-month service term required.
Viasat speeds: What’s best for you?
Viasat offers several plans with relatively fast download speeds for satellite internet, though it also offers cheaper plans at much lower speeds. We recommend the faster Viasat plans, but if you know exactly how much speed you need for your household, you might be able to save on your monthly bill.
Viasat data caps
As with download speeds, Viasat offers a variety of data allowances, ranging from 15 GB up to 300 GB. We recommend plans with more data because buying extra data if you run out is much more expensive than upgrading your plan. This extra data also expires at the end of the month, so don’t buy more than you need.
Our favorite plan: Viasat Unlimited Gold 50
This plan gives you a decent amount of data and download speeds of 50 Mbps. That’s enough speed for most online activities, though having just two or three people watching video at once could easily bog it down. Of course, you should limit the amount of video you stream anyway (video eats through your monthly data allowance faster than almost anything), so this plan works well for the average satellite internet customer.
Viasat ongoing deals and promotions + bundles
Get the Unlimited Gold 50 plan for $99.99 per month so you can have 200 Mbps speeds and a modest 50 GB of data.
Viasat internet fees
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Equipment Fee | $5.00/mo. |
| Installation Fee | Free |
| Other Fees | Extra data starting at $10.00/GB |
Viasat has pretty low fees for a satellite internet provider, which is definitely a selling point. Extra data can get expensive, though, so try to sign up for a plan that will give you enough data to get through an average month.
Viasat internet installation, equipment, and contracts
Viasat is definitely a bit lighter on the fees than most other satellite providers, but it does come with a pretty long contract.
Viasat installation and equipment
Viasat offers free installation and has incredibly low monthly equipment costs. Although you can buy your equipment, the monthly cost is low enough that there’s little reason to do so.
Viasat internet contracts
Viasat plans come with two-year contracts, which is about as long as they come. When you’re weighing the pros and cons, remember that the promotional pricing ends before your contract does, so make sure to budget for the full price.
Viasat vs. the competition
| Speed | Price | Order online | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 12–100 Mbps | $30.00–$149.99/mo.* | |
 | 25 Mbps | $64.99–$159.99/mo.† | |
 | 50–250 Mbps | $110.00/mo.‡ | View Plans |
Data effective 5/20/2022. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Offer available to new qualifying customers. One-time standard installation fee may be due at checkout. Minimum 24-month service term required. Equipment lease fee is $12.99/mo. Taxes apply. Service is not available in all areas. Offer may be changed or withdrawn at any time.
†Service plans require a 24-month commitment.
‡Plus hardware, shipping & handling fees, and tax. Fully refundable. Depending on location, some orders may take 6 months or more to fulfill.
If you want to avoid the price hikes and complicated pricing schemes of Viasat, HughesNet is a straightforward alternative. HughesNet has a simple pricing system with a standard 25 Mbps download speed across all its plans. It also makes buying extra data easier with its Data Tokens, which carry over to the next month if you don’t use them.
If Viasat’s speeds still aren’t enough for you, Starlink and other upcoming LEO satellite providers might be the answer. Starlink can offer even faster speeds, as well as lower latency, than traditional satellite providers. Unfortunately, Starlink’s customer service isn’t as cutting-edge as its satellites, and many potential customers have had to wait months to get their equipment. Although Starlink is officially out of beta, it’s still not quite a fully functioning internet service provider.
Read our full reviews of Viasat vs. its main internet competitors
Is Viasat internet right for you?
Viasat is currently the best choice for rural internet customers who have higher demands for their internet connection. Compared to HughesNet, Viasat has faster speeds, higher data caps, and more plan options. Although Starlink is now technically a faster option, most people can’t wait six months for Dishy McFlatface to show up on their doorstep.
Hopefully by the time your two-year contract with Viasat is up, Starlink will have its act together—and there might even be other LEO providers to choose from.
FAQ about Viasat
All Viasat plans have data caps. Like most internet providers, Viasat doesn’t cut your internet access completely when you exceed these data limits, but rather throttles your speeds, making your connection incredibly slow. If this happens, you can purchase additional data for that month, after which your speeds return to normal.
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.