Satellite internet is the fallback for a lot of American addresses, and Viasat is one of the two big names in it. If cable, fiber and 5G home internet all stop short of your driveway, this review covers what Viasat actually sells today: the three current plans, what you pay in year one and from year two, the speeds to expect, which plan carries a contract, and the honest trade-offs of any dish-based connection. Prices as of 20-Oct-2026.
What is Viasat?
Viasat is a satellite internet provider serving homes across the United States, with a focus on rural and remote addresses that wired broadband has not reached. Its current residential lineup is three plans, Essentials, Unleashed and Unleashed Max, which launched on 08-Oct-2026 and replaced the older Unlimited tiers. We covered that launch in our Viasat Unleashed Max and ViaSat-3 plans guide; this page is the evergreen review of the service itself.
How does satellite internet work?
A technician mounts a small dish on your home and points it at Viasat’s satellite, which sits in a fixed position high above the equator. Your dish sends requests up to the satellite, the satellite relays them to a ground station connected to the internet, and the reply travels the same path back. A modem indoors turns that link into Wi-Fi for your devices.
Because nothing has to be dug or strung to the house, satellite can reach almost any address with a clear view of the southern sky. The trade-off is that every request makes a very long round trip, so satellite has noticeably higher latency than cable or fiber even when the download speed looks similar on paper.
Who is Viasat a good fit for?
Viasat suits households where the wired providers have said no. If your address can get cable, fiber or a strong 5G home internet signal, one of those will almost always be cheaper per megabit and lower in latency, and our best internet providers comparison is the place to start. If none of them serve you, Viasat handles the everyday jobs well: browsing, email, online banking, video calls, HD streaming on a couple of screens, and remote work that does not depend on split-second response times.
It is a poorer fit for competitive online gaming, for anyone on a latency-sensitive VPN, and for homes whose dish cannot see the southern sky because of trees, hills or a neighbouring building.
Viasat plans and prices
All three plans follow the same structure: an introductory price for new customers for the first 12 months, then the regular monthly rate from month 13. Every plan has the same baseline speed; what changes between tiers is the data allowance, network priority, the burst ceiling and the contract. Prices as of 20-Oct-2026.
| Plan | First 12 months | Price after | High-speed data | Burst speed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $39.99/mo | $69.99/mo | 150 GB, then unlimited standard data | Up to 150 Mbps | 24-month term |
| Unleashed | $69.99/mo | $99.99/mo | Unlimited | Up to 180 Mbps | Month to month |
| Unleashed Max | $109.99/mo | $179.99/mo | Unlimited, with network priority | Up to 200 Mbps | Month to month |
Add a $15/mo equipment lease to each service price. Standard installation is free on all three plans, and Unleashed Max includes EasyCare. In a small portion of the country the older Unlimited Bronze, Silver and Gold plans may still be offered; if your address is quoted one of those names, ask the agent to walk you through its terms.
Choosing between them is simpler than it looks. Essentials is the cheapest way onto Viasat for a light-use home that can live within 150 GB of high-speed data a month and accepts a 24-month term. Unleashed removes both the data worry and the contract, which makes it the lowest-risk way to find out whether satellite works at your address. Unleashed Max is for busy homes that want their traffic placed ahead of other Viasat customers when the network is congested in the evening.
How fast is Viasat?
Viasat quotes two numbers for every plan. The baseline speed is up to 80 Mbps most of the time, and it is the same on Essentials, Unleashed and Unleashed Max. The burst speed is the temporary maximum under ideal conditions when the network has spare capacity: up to 150 Mbps on Essentials, up to 180 Mbps on Unleashed and up to 200 Mbps on Unleashed Max. All of these are “up to” figures, not guarantees, and real-world speed varies by location, time of day and how busy your beam is.
In practice, plan your household around the 80 Mbps baseline rather than the burst number. That is enough for HD streaming on multiple screens, video calls and ordinary work-from-home traffic. Choose between the tiers on data, priority and contract, because those are what actually differ.
Latency, weather and the southern sky
Three caveats apply to Viasat and to every other geostationary satellite service, and it is better to know them before the installer arrives.
Latency. The satellite is a very long way up, so each request takes noticeably longer to return than it would on cable or fiber. Web pages, streaming and downloads are largely unaffected because they move data in bulk. Fast-twitch online gaming, some VPNs and anything that depends on rapid back-and-forth will feel the delay.
Weather. Heavy rain, thick cloud or snow build-up on the dish can weaken the signal and slow or briefly interrupt the connection. Ordinary weather does not; severe weather can. Service generally recovers on its own once it passes, and keeping the dish clear of snow and debris helps.
Line of sight. The dish needs an unobstructed view toward the southern sky. Mature trees, a steep hillside or a taller building in that direction can block the signal. The installer checks this on the day and will tell you if a different mounting spot is needed.
Installation, equipment and contracts
Viasat installs the service with a professional technician, and standard installation is free on every plan. The technician mounts the dish, runs the cable to the modem, confirms a signal and shows you the basics before leaving. Non-standard work, such as a pole mount where the roof cannot see the satellite, may cost extra, and the technician will tell you before starting.
The equipment is leased rather than bought: $15/mo on all three plans, added to the service price. Unleashed Max includes the EasyCare protection plan.
On contracts, only Essentials ties you in. It carries a 24-month minimum service term with an early termination fee of $15 for every month remaining if you cancel early. Unleashed and Unleashed Max are month to month, with no annual contract and no early termination fee.
Viasat pros and cons
Pros
- Reaches rural and remote addresses that cable, fiber and 5G home internet do not.
- Unlimited high-speed data on Unleashed and Unleashed Max, with no contract on either.
- Same up to 80 Mbps baseline on every plan, so the cheapest tier is not the slowest.
- Free standard installation and a clear, three-plan lineup that is easy to compare.
Cons
- Higher latency than any wired connection; a poor fit for competitive gaming.
- Prices step up sharply after the first 12 months, and the $15/mo equipment lease applies on top.
- Essentials locks you into 24 months; the no-contract plans cost more.
- Severe weather and obstructed sightlines can degrade or interrupt service.
Viasat vs HughesNet
HughesNet is the other geostationary satellite provider available across most of the country, and at a rural address the choice usually comes down to these two. They share the same fundamentals: a dish on the house, a modem indoors, a clear view of the southern sky, and the latency that comes with geostationary orbit. Where they differ is in the exact prices, data allowances, speed tiers and contract terms on offer at your address, and those change often enough that we do not print HughesNet figures on this page. Compare the two on our provider pages, or call and we will read both offers for your zip code in one go.
FAQ
How much does Viasat internet cost?
Essentials is $39.99/mo, Unleashed is $69.99/mo and Unleashed Max is $109.99/mo, each for the first 12 months for new customers. The regular rates after that are $69.99/mo, $99.99/mo and $179.99/mo. A $15/mo equipment lease applies on every plan. Prices as of 20-Oct-2026.
How fast is Viasat?
Every current Viasat plan has a baseline speed of up to 80 Mbps most of the time. Burst speeds under ideal conditions are up to 150 Mbps on Essentials, up to 180 Mbps on Unleashed and up to 200 Mbps on Unleashed Max. Speeds are not guaranteed and vary by location and time of day.
Does Viasat have data caps?
Essentials includes 150 GB of high-speed data a month, then unlimited standard data. Unleashed and Unleashed Max include unlimited high-speed data, and Unleashed Max adds network priority over other customers when the network is busy.
Does Viasat require a contract?
Only on Essentials, which has a 24-month minimum service term and an early termination fee of $15 for each month remaining. Unleashed and Unleashed Max are month to month with no annual contract.
Is Viasat good for gaming?
It works for casual and turn-based games and for downloading titles, but the latency of a geostationary satellite makes it a poor choice for fast-paced competitive online gaming. If a wired or 5G home internet option exists at your address, that will serve gamers better.
Prices as of 20-Oct-2026. Introductory prices apply to new customers for the first 12 months; the regular monthly rate applies after that. Speeds are “up to,” are not guaranteed and will vary. Service is not available in all areas.
Homelinkd is an independent comparison service, not Viasat, HughesNet or any other provider. Provider names and trademarks, including ViaSat-3, Unleashed Max and EasyCare, belong to their respective owners. Plans, pricing and availability vary by location and are subject to change; confirm details with the provider at time of order.