Compare satellite internet.
Signal strength. Real numbers.
Starlink, HughesNet, Viasat, and T-Mobile compared side by side — speeds, real-world latency, data caps, and total cost.
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Ordered by overall recommendation for most users. Your situation may differ — take the quiz for a personalized result.
The one number providers don't advertise
Download speed tells you how fast a file moves. Latency tells you whether a video call, game, or remote desktop will work at all.
Common questions
For most users who rely on the internet for work, calls, or streaming — yes. The $499 equipment cost amortizes to about $42/month over the first year, making total first-year cost around $162/month. After that, $120/month ongoing. If HughesNet or Viasat's latency makes video calls unusable for your work, the price difference is worth it. If you only use the internet for basic browsing and occasional email, the cheaper GEO options may be sufficient.
Satellite internet uses orbiting satellites to deliver a signal to a dish at your home. Fixed wireless (T-Mobile Home Internet) uses ground-based cell towers to deliver a signal to a router in your home. Fixed wireless has lower latency (similar to Starlink) and is often cheaper — but only works where there's strong cellular coverage, which excludes truly remote areas. Satellite works almost anywhere with a clear view of the sky.
Yes, with Starlink or T-Mobile. No, with HughesNet or Viasat. The difference is latency. Video calls (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) require latency under roughly 150ms to feel natural — Starlink at 20–60ms handles this easily. HughesNet and Viasat at 600–900ms produce noticeable half-second delays that make real conversations difficult. VPN connections to corporate networks also struggle with high latency.
Yes, though the impact varies by provider. Heavy rain can temporarily reduce speeds on all satellite services ("rain fade"). Snow accumulation on the dish is a bigger concern for Starlink in northern climates — the dish has a built-in heater for this, but heavy accumulation can still block signal. HughesNet and Viasat are also affected by weather but their geostationary satellites have been in operation longer and their ground equipment is more weathered-in. For most conditions, disruptions are temporary and minor.
Starlink and T-Mobile Home Internet both have no hard data caps. Starlink offers unlimited data at full speed with no throttling after a threshold. T-Mobile Home Internet is also unlimited but may experience network management (deprioritization) during congestion. HughesNet and Viasat both throttle speeds significantly after monthly data allowances are used.