Which satellite internet providers serve US homes?

Three today: Starlink (low-orbit satellites, run by SpaceX), and HughesNet and Viasat (geostationary satellites). Amazon's low-orbit Leo service had not opened to US households when we last checked.

What is the difference between low-orbit and geostationary satellite internet?

Low-orbit satellites circle a few hundred miles up, so signals make a short trip and video calls feel normal. Geostationary satellites sit about 22,236 miles (35,786 km) up over the equator, so every signal travels much farther and you notice a delay.

Does satellite internet work in bad weather?

Heavy rain or snow can slow or briefly interrupt any satellite service. Snow and ice on the dish matter most; Starlink dishes warm themselves to melt snow, and a clear mounting spot helps every service.

Do satellite plans have data caps?

It depends on the plan. Viasat's Essentials plan includes 150 GB of high-speed data a month and its Unleashed plans are sold as unlimited but can be slowed during congestion if your use is above typical (Viasat plan page, read November 3, 2026). HughesNet plans come with a monthly amount of Priority Data, then slower Standard Data.

Is Starlink better than HughesNet and Viasat?

For most rural homes with open sky, yes: lower delay and, on Residential plans, no monthly data allowance to watch. Geostationary service can still make sense where trees block the low-orbit dish but a southern view is open, or where it is cheaper for light use.

Satellite Internet Providers for Rural Homes, Explained

In brief

Low-orbit satellite (Starlink) is the better choice for most rural homes with open sky: faster, with a short delay that suits video calls. Geostationary satellite (HughesNet, Viasat) is older technology with a long delay and data allowances; it's a fallback. About 6.9% of US households had a satellite internet subscription in 2025 (Census).

What are the two kinds of satellite internet?

Low-orbit (LEO)

Thousands of satellites a few hundred miles up (Starlink's main shells sit around 550 km). Your dish switches between them as they pass, so the signal's round trip is short.

Today in the US: Starlink. Amazon's Leo had not opened to US households when last checked.

Geostationary (GEO)

A few large satellites parked about 35,786 km (22,236 miles) above the equator. The dish points at one spot in the southern sky, but each signal travels about 65 times farther than to a low-orbit satellite.

Today in the US: HughesNet, Viasat.

How do the three providers compare?

US home satellite internet, as each provider describes it (checked November 3, 2026)
Provider	Orbit	Monthly price	Data	Equipment
Starlink Residential	Low	National order list (November 4, 2026): 100 Mbps $49.50, 200 Mbps $76.50 and Max $143 a month; varies by address	Sold by speed tier	$349 to buy, or a $0 rental kit where offered
Viasat	Geostationary	Essentials $39.99 for 12 months, then $69.99; Unleashed $69.99, then $99.99; Unleashed Max $109.99, then $179.99	Essentials 150 GB high-speed; Unleashed plans unlimited, may be slowed in congestion above typical use	$15/mo lease
HughesNet	Geostationary	Shown after you enter an address	A monthly Priority Data amount, then unlimited slower Standard Data	Check at order

Starlink figures: the national order list starlink.com loads before an address is entered, read November 4, 2026. Starlink's help center says Residential pricing differs by region, so your address may show another level. Viasat and HughesNet from their own plan pages. Speeds are "up to" figures and vary.

Which one fits your home?

Rule out wired and wireless first
Satellite is for when fiber, cable and a good fixed wireless signal aren't available. Check the FCC map and whether fiber is funded.
Check your sky
Starlink needs a broad patch of open sky, not one narrow line. Geostationary needs one clear line toward the southern sky. Trees are the usual problem; the Starlink app has a free obstruction check you can run from the spot you'd mount the dish.
Think about delay
Video calls, online games and remote desktops need low delay. If anyone at home does these, choose low-orbit.
Compare the real monthly cost
Add the equipment fee or kit price, and check what happens after any 12-month promotion ends.

Aerial view of a fenced compound with rows of white dome-covered antennas and a low building, beside a railroad track and bare farm fields — Dome-covered antennas at a site its photographer labels “Star Link”, near Merrillan, Wisconsin. Photo: Wikideas1, CC0.

Starlink, in plain words

Price: Starlink sets Residential prices region by region; starlink.com reveals the Residential price for a home only once that address is typed in. The national list on November 4, 2026 showed 100 Mbps $49.50, 200 Mbps $76.50 and Max $143 a month.
Plans: the 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps Residential plans are only offered in some areas; elsewhere you may see only Residential Max.
Equipment: $349 for a Standard kit you own outright; in many areas Residential comes with a rental kit: $0 at checkout, or $99/$199 one-time if professional installation is added.
Setup: plug-and-play for most homes; a roof or pole mount helps where trees block the view. See Starlink for rural homes for the full walk-through.

HughesNet and Viasat, in plain words

Available almost anywhere in the lower 48 with a clear southern view.
Plans have high-speed data allowances or "typical use" limits; watch these if you stream a lot.
Promotional prices usually last 12 months; check the price after that.
The long delay makes video calls and online games feel laggy. In Ookla's tests for early 2025, median delay was 683 ms on HughesNet and 684 ms on Viasat, against 45 ms on Starlink (as reported by Light Reading, July 18, 2025).

If low-orbit satellite fits your home

Who should wait instead of ordering Starlink

A funded fiber or cable build covers your address (BEAD or a co-op project) and should arrive within about a year: hold off and compare. How to check.
Trees, a ridge or nearby buildings hide most of your sky and there's nowhere to mount the dish above them.
The need is seasonal or short: one stay, one trip, one job. Starlink is a monthly subscription meant to stay on.
A fixed wireless or 5G home provider already gives you a strong, stable signal at a lower price and you're happy with it.

If satellite is your pick and Starlink fits

Starlink's $100 reward for first-time US customers
Nothing to type at checkout
The real price for your address, shown before payment

What it costs (Starlink's national order list, November 4, 2026, no address entered):

Residential 100 Mbps $49.50, 200 Mbps $76.50 and Max $143 a month. Prices vary by address, and starlink.com shows the one for your home once you type it in.
Kit: $349 for a Standard kit you own outright, or a rented kit at $0 at checkout where offered ($99 or $199 with professional installation).

Referral link. The button carries our referral to starlink.com. By Starlink's rules it counts for you if you've never held a Starlink account, the dish will serve a US address, and you buy both kit and plan on starlink.com (shop, reseller and second-hand kits are excluded). Starlink says a qualifying order earns you $100 once you've stayed subscribed for two months; we get the same reward for sending you. Starlink by State is independent, with no tie to SpaceX or Starlink and no endorsement from either.

See my address's price on starlink.com ↗

A new tab opens. In our reading of starlink.com's page code (October 29, 2026) the referral stays with that tab only; Starlink hasn't published that as a rule, so complete checkout without leaving it. What we earn from this.

Satellite internet for rural homes, explained