How Does Satellite Internet Work?

Satellite internet is a type of connection that uses a satellite to become an internet bespeak from your internet access provider (ISP) to you.

Here'southward how it works: your provider sends a cobweb internet betoken to a satellite in space. The net signal and so comes to you and is captured by your satellite dish. Your dish is connected to your modem, which connects your computer to the internet indicate. The process reverses dorsum to your provider, and at that place you have it.

Now before nosotros go too thick into the weeds, here'south more than information nearly satellite cyberspace, including resource on which providers are the most reliable.

Detect Satellite Internet providers in your area

What are the best satellite internet providers?

There are only ii satellite internet providers: Viasat (formerly Exede net) and HughesNet. In our comparison, nosotros talked about why nosotros think Viasat is the best satellite internet provider for virtually people. To sum it up: you lot'll get faster speeds, more information, and a better price in most cases. We do think that HughesNet has better prices for those who don't need a lot of speed.

Starlink is launching its own satellites and will exist offering internet plans in the future. Nosotros have high hopes for improved speeds and prices, but for now, nosotros tin just speculate.

Viasat vs. HughesNet comparison

Provider

Monthly price

Download speeds

Data cap

Learn more

Viasat Internet $30 $169.99 * 12 100 Mbps 12 150 GB
HughesNet Internet $64.99 $159.99 25 Mbps 15 75 GB

Data constructive 11/11/21. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject area to change.

* For the starting time 3 months.

Requires 24 month agreement.

How does satellite cyberspace speed compare to other internet speeds?

Overall, satellite cyberspace has come up a long mode over the years). You can  find satellite cyberspace plans reaching upwards of 100 Mbps. Having faster internet can actually help for watching videos, streaming Netflix, gaming, and supporting an entire household of internet users.

Only note that satellite internet is subject to high latency, and so the speeds aren't e'er what they seem. Other net types use better infrastructures to become you more reliable speeds, just they might not be available in your area. We say, if you lot alive in a rural area, it's all the same worth getting—especially if it'due south your but choice.

DSL internet can exist slower than satellite internet. Depending on the provider you use, DSL ranges anywhere from five Mbps to 100 Mbps. If y'all accept access to a DSL provider with modern tech, nosotros think you'll accept a improve experience with DSL. But if you lot tin can get only slower, older DSL options, you'll desire to consider satellite net instead.

Cablevision net is faster and oft cheaper than satellite internet. Most cable internet services range between 20 and 1,000 Mbps. Just if you live in the countryside, it may not be an option for you.

If yous take access to fiber internet, don't bother considering satellite. You'll find improve speeds and prices from fiber providers.

What should I be aware of when choosing my satellite cyberspace plan?

Like with whatsoever type of internet, y'all'll desire to make up one's mind what speeds you demand and your budget. While it's tempting to get the fastest plan, you don't demand to overpay for speeds you won't actually use.

Picking a satellite net plan should exist based on what activities you lot and everyone else in the home program on doing. Slower speeds volition work for spider web browsing and email checking, merely for streaming Television set similar Netflix, you'll want faster speeds. Just heads upward: satellite internet might not take the speeds you need to stream in 4K or HD.

Don't forget that satellite internet comes with data caps. Unlike some cable and fiber plans, satellite internet doesn't normally come with unlimited data. And then one time you striking a certain amount of data, your net provider could get-go charging an overage fee, or it might throttle your speed. It's just proficient to continue your data cap in mind when searching for a satellite cyberspace plan that's all-time for y'all.

What kind of equipment comes with satellite internet?

An illustration showing how data is sent from a home, to a satellite, then to a satellite ISP and back

If you're considering switching to satellite cyberspace, then your provider will apply specific equipment. Almost satellite internet at present only comes with a modem, wireless router, and a network cable. Where near satellite internet came with larger equipment in the by, many providers accept smaller, more compact equipment now. Some providers utilize a dish and then that the signal can accomplish easier, although that'south non every bit common anymore.

  • Satellite modem: The electronic device that converts the satellites signal into one readable past your computer's network adapter. It'due south what brings the internet to your figurer.
  • Router: The electronic device that takes your modem's internet signal and distributes it throughout your home, either by Wi-Fi or by Ethernet cable.

Satellite internet myths and facts

Myth 1: Satellite internet is besides deadening

Satellite cyberspace now has speeds upwards to 100 Mbps if you go with Viasat, and speeds of 25 Mbps if you become with HughesNet. That's pretty fast if yous consider near cablevision and DSL internet plans offer similar speeds.

Satellite internet used to be extremely slow, with download speeds of approximately 750 Kbps. But advancements in technology and new satellites accept increased speeds. HughesNet also hopes to boost its speeds upwards to 100 Mbps in the near future. Thank goodness.

Myth 2: It takes a long time to receive a signal

You lot probable won't find whatsoever difference in how quickly you lot tin can do things online with satellite versus how speedily y'all could practice them with cablevision or DSL. Unless you're gaming, satellite's high latency likely won't touch you.

Latency is the time information technology takes for information to exist sent and received. In the example of satellite net, information technology's the time it takes for information to get from your device to your satellite dish, to your provider'due south orbiting satellite, to a dissever satellite dish at your ISP, and back again.

As yous can see, that'south a lot of steps. And latency has long been a strike against satellite internet.

Latency is higher with satellite internet than it is for cable, DSL, and fiber net. Cable, DSL, and cobweb internet have latency in the twenty–50 millisecond (ms) range, while satellite internet ranges tin exist shut to 600 ms.

Considering satellites are positioned 22,000 miles above the earth, satellite net data just has a long mode to travel. It's also why nosotros basically never recommend satellite cyberspace over other types similar cable. Merely if y'all live in the country or an area without better net options, satellite might exist your best (and sometimes just) choice.

The most obvious consequence of latency is on gaming. Gaming that requires ultra-quick responses, like beginning-person shooters (FPS), just doesn't work very well with satellite internet. If you choose satellite internet, you might have to say goodbye to League of Legends.

Merely other online activities, like spider web browsing, emailing, and photograph sharing, won't exist affected by latency much at all.

Myth 3: Satellite internet doesn't work when information technology'south cloudy, rainy, or stormy

While it'southward truthful that astringent thunderstorms, heavy snow, or blizzards can interrupt satellite transmission temporarily, the problem isn't as significant as some might lead y'all to retrieve.

Storm-related interruptions are unremarkably called "rain fade," and the signal is restored equally soon as the storm passes. You tin can also remove heavy accumulations of snowfall from around the satellite dish to restore communications.

In dissimilarity, a heavy thunderstorm with fallen trees or other farthermost conditions with similar effects could disable cable or DSL for days. Once again, most satellite internet customers live in rural areas without access to DSL or cable, then fifty-fifty with pelting fade, satellite internet is preferable to culling, slower means of internet service (like dial-upward internet).

Myth iv: Satellite cyberspace is too expensive

Compared to DSL, cablevision, and fiber internet, satellite is relatively expensive. But its monthly costs accept decreased over the years, making information technology a somewhat more affordable pick. (Especially if you have no other internet providers to cull from.)

Nowadays, you tin get a Viasat net plan starting at $30 a calendar month, or a HughesNet plan starting at $64.99 a calendar month.

Now that you know, here are your next steps.

Enter your Nada code to see providers bachelor in your area.

Learn more near your satellite options.

Chyelle Dvorak

Written by

Chyelle Dvorak

Chyelle works as a freelance writer for The Daily Beast and edited manufactures for Forbes, Inc.com, Fox News and other review sites. Chyelle tests, writes, and researches products and services related to net consumption. She found her passion for public speaking and writing in her childhood when she won the Voice of Democracy oral communication and essay competition. Chyelle has a caste in International Relations from Crown College, Minnesota. Exterior of work, Chyelle loves to spend time reading, kayaking, and running.

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