Satellite Internet: Plans, Speeds & Coverage (2026)

What Is Satellite Internet?

Satellite internet provides broadband connectivity by transmitting data between a dish at your home, orbiting satellites, and ground stations connected to the internet backbone. It is the most widely available internet type, covering virtually the entire continental United States including remote rural areas where cable, fiber, and DSL do not reach.

The satellite internet landscape transformed dramatically with SpaceX's Starlink, which uses a constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites instead of traditional geostationary satellites. This innovation reduced latency from 600+ ms to 20-40 ms, making satellite internet viable for video calls, browsing, and even some gaming for the first time.

How Satellite Internet Works

Satellite internet requires three components: a satellite dish at your home, a network of orbiting satellites, and a ground station (gateway) connected to the internet. When you request a webpage, the signal travels from your dish to the satellite, down to the ground station, across the internet, and back the same route.

LEO vs. GEO Satellites

• Low-Earth Orbit (LEO): Starlink and Amazon Kuiper operate at 340-550 km altitude. Shorter distance means lower latency (20-40 ms) and faster speeds. Requires thousands of satellites for coverage.
• Geostationary (GEO): HughesNet and Viasat use satellites at 35,786 km altitude. The extreme distance creates high latency (600-700 ms) but each satellite covers a large area.

The LEO approach has revolutionized satellite internet. Starlink's constellation of 6,000+ satellites provides coverage comparable to wired broadband in many areas, though still subject to weather and congestion effects.

Satellite Internet Providers (2026)

Starlink is the clear performance leader but costs more upfront and monthly. HughesNet and Viasat remain relevant for users who need lower monthly costs or who live in areas where Starlink has a waitlist.

Starlink vs. HughesNet vs. Viasat

For rural internet users, Starlink is the best satellite option if the upfront cost is manageable. For gaming, see our gaming internet guide; satellite (even Starlink) is not ideal for competitive gaming.

Satellite Internet Limitations

• Weather sensitivity: Heavy rain, snow, and dense cloud cover can degrade signal quality
• Latency: GEO satellites have 600+ ms latency, unusable for real-time gaming and video calls
• Data caps/throttling: Most plans throttle speeds after high usage
• Equipment costs: Upfront dish costs of $299-$599
• Installation requirements: Clear view of the sky needed; trees and buildings can block signal
• Congestion: Starlink speeds decrease in densely populated areas as more users join

If satellite is your only option but performance does not meet your needs, consider combining it with fixed wireless internet where available, or check if 5G home internet has expanded to your area.

Who Should Use Satellite Internet?

Satellite internet is recommended when:

• No wired broadband (cable, fiber, DSL) is available at your address
• You live in a rural area without fixed wireless coverage
• You need internet for basic tasks: email, web browsing, social media
• You are a Starlink customer who needs reliable speeds for video calls and remote work

Satellite is NOT recommended if wired broadband is available. Check our ZIP code tool to see all options at your address before committing to satellite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Satellite Internet Equipment

Satellite internet requires specialized equipment at your home to communicate with orbiting satellites. Understanding the equipment helps you plan your installation and troubleshoot any issues that arise.

Starlink Equipment

Starlink's kit includes the "Dishy McFlatface" phased-array antenna ($599), a Wi-Fi router, a 75-foot power cable, and a mounting tripod. The dish uses electronic beam-steering (no moving parts) to track multiple LEO satellites simultaneously. It needs a clear view of the sky with minimal obstructions, typically installed on a roof, pole, or ground mount with included tripod.

Starlink also offers optional accessories including a longer cable ($25-50), pipe adapter for pole mounting ($35), Ethernet adapter ($25, needed for wired connections to older Gen 2 hardware), and a Starlink mesh node ($130) for extending Wi-Fi coverage. The standard Gen 3 hardware includes built-in Ethernet ports.

HughesNet and Viasat Equipment

Traditional satellite providers use parabolic dish antennas (2-3 feet diameter) that point at a fixed location in the geostationary arc. Installation is always professional, as the dish must be precisely aligned to within a fraction of a degree. Equipment is typically leased through the provider, with costs built into the monthly bill or charged as an upfront fee ($299-449).

Both HughesNet and Viasat modems include built-in Wi-Fi, but the routers are often basic models. You can connect your own Wi-Fi router to the satellite modem's Ethernet port for better coverage and performance. See our router guide for compatible models.

Weather Considerations

All satellite internet is affected by weather to some degree. The phenomenon known as "rain fade" occurs when heavy precipitation absorbs or scatters the satellite signal. Starlink handles weather better than GEO systems due to shorter signal paths (550 km vs. 35,786 km), but very heavy rain or snow can still cause brief outages or speed reductions.

To minimize weather impact, ensure your dish has a clear view of the sky without overhanging branches that can collect snow or ice. Starlink dishes include a built-in heater to melt snow, but heavy accumulation may temporarily affect performance. For GEO satellite dishes, professional alignment ensures optimal signal margins for weather resilience.

Best Use Cases for Satellite Internet

Satellite internet serves specific needs better than others. Understanding where satellite excels and where it falls short helps you set realistic expectations and choose the right plan.

Excellent For

• Rural homes without wired broadband: Satellite is available virtually everywhere, making it the universal broadband solution for areas without cable, fiber, or fixed wireless options
• Farms and ranches: Large rural properties far from any wired infrastructure benefit enormously from satellite connectivity for weather monitoring, precision agriculture, and market access
• Vacation homes and RVs: Starlink's portable option works for seasonal or mobile use, providing broadband-quality speeds wherever you go
• Emergency backup: Satellite provides internet connectivity independent of terrestrial infrastructure, valuable during natural disasters
• Remote work (Starlink only): Starlink's low latency (20-40 ms) supports video conferencing and VPN connections for remote workers in rural areas

Not Ideal For

• Competitive online gaming: Even Starlink's 20-40 ms latency is higher than wired options, and GEO satellite (600+ ms) is unusable for any real-time gaming
• High-volume data users: Data caps and deprioritization can limit heavy usage households
• Areas with wired alternatives: If cable, fiber, or 5G is available, those options offer better value and consistency

Detailed Provider Comparison

Each satellite provider targets different segments of the market with distinct technologies, pricing, and performance characteristics.

Starlink Standard ($120/month)

Starlink is the clear performance leader for residential satellite internet. Using a constellation of 6,000+ LEO satellites, it delivers 50-500 Mbps download speeds with 20-40 ms latency that enables real-time applications impossible on traditional satellite. The $599 equipment cost is significant, but the month-to-month performance justifies the investment for users without wired alternatives. Starlink has no contracts, no early termination fees, and effectively unlimited data (though heavy users may be deprioritized during congestion).

HughesNet ($49.99-74.99/month)

HughesNet uses the Jupiter 3 geostationary satellite to deliver 25-100 Mbps download speeds across the continental United States. While slower than Starlink and burdened with high latency (600+ ms), HughesNet costs significantly less per month and offers predictable performance. Plans include 100-200 GB of data, with speeds reduced after exceeding the cap. HughesNet eliminated contracts in 2023, making it easier to cancel if better options become available.

Viasat ($49.99-149.99/month)

Viasat offers the widest range of speed tiers among GEO satellite providers, with plans reaching up to 150 Mbps in areas with ViaSat-3 satellite coverage. Its "unlimited" data plans technically have no hard cap, but speeds are reduced during peak congestion once you exceed a soft threshold. Viasat still requires a 2-year contract with early termination fees, which is a significant disadvantage compared to Starlink and HughesNet's no-contract options.

Tips for Getting the Best Satellite Internet Performance

Whether you use Starlink or a traditional GEO satellite provider, these optimization tips can help you get the most out of your satellite internet connection.

Dish Placement and Maintenance

The single most important factor for satellite internet performance is dish placement. For Starlink, the dish needs a clear 100-degree field of view of the sky. Trees, buildings, and other obstructions cause signal dropouts that reduce speeds and increase latency. Use the Starlink app's obstruction checker before installation to find the optimal location. For GEO satellite dishes, ensure the dish maintains its precise alignment. Even small movements (from wind, settling, or accidental bumps) can significantly degrade performance. If your GEO satellite speeds suddenly drop, a realignment service call may be needed.

Managing Data Usage

Even with Starlink's technically unlimited data, managing your usage can improve performance during peak hours. Schedule large downloads (game updates, system updates, cloud backups) during off-peak hours (typically 11 PM to 7 AM). Set streaming services to a lower quality when video quality is not critical (like watching on a phone screen). Use a download manager that can pause and resume large downloads. For HughesNet and Viasat customers with hard data caps, these strategies are essential to avoid throttling before the end of your billing cycle.

Network Equipment Optimization

Connect your most important devices (work computer, primary TV) via Ethernet to the satellite router for the most stable connection. The built-in Wi-Fi on satellite routers is typically basic, so adding a quality Wi-Fi 6 router or mesh system connected to the satellite modem's Ethernet port can dramatically improve wireless performance throughout your home. For Starlink, the newer Gen 3 hardware includes a built-in Ethernet port, while Gen 2 users need the separate Ethernet adapter ($25).