If you live in an area that struggles with finding good internet, Viasat is likely your best solution. The variety of Viasat plans meets many budgets and needs. To help you better understand how much Viasat really costs for you, we’ve got a complete breakdown.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about Viasat’s monthly cost, data plans, and additional fees.
What is Viasat?
Viasat is a high-speed satellite internet service company based in Carlsbad, California. It’s been around since 1986, focusing on its residential duty to provide internet whether other providers do not.
Some people might know Viasat for its work on broadband for airlines. In 2001, a partnership with Boeing eventually led to the launch of ViaSat-3, a high-powered satellite said to improve the service with faster speeds.
While these are mostly commercial developments, it bodes well for the future of residential satellite internet.
Viasat plans and prices you should know about
For residential customers, Viasat plans for the internet cover a wide range of speeds and prices. Below, you’ll see a breakdown starting with Viasat’s internet only offering.
Viasat internet only plans
Viasat’s internet only plans come in five standard forms, ranging in price from $69.99 to $299.99 per month. Unlike traditional internet providers, Viasat bases its prices on data caps, with speed being a secondary consideration.
Unlike other providers, Viasat doesn’t charge overage fees for going over your data cap. Instead, you will experience data throttling for what Viasat considers non-essential activities. So your speeds might be closer to 10 Mbps if you pay for 30.
Viasat’s internet only plans range from 12 to 100 Mbps, much slower than other types of internet. This is the nature of satellite internet, as it comes from a satellite in space and requires advanced technology to manage. Regardless, Viasat is the fastest satellite internet provider in the United States.
Viasat also starts its customers off using introductory pricing. The discount period lasts for three months, increasing during month four of your internet plan. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of these prices:
Viasat plans: internet only breakdown
- Unlimited Bronze 12
Download speeds up to 12 Mbps
40 GB of high-speed data
$69.99 per month (renews at $99.99 /mo)
- Unlimited Silver 25
Download speeds up to 25 Mbps
60 GB of high-speed data
$99.99 per month (renews at $149.99 /mo)
- Unlimited Gold 30
Download speeds up to 30 Mbps
100 GB of high-speed data
$149.99 per month (renews at $199.99 /mo)
- Unlimited Platinum 30
Download speeds up to 30 Mbps
150 GB of high-speed data
$199.99 per month (renews at $299.99 /mo)
- Unlimited Diamond 30
Download speeds up to 30 Mbps
300 GB of high-speed data
$299.99 per month (renews at $399.99 /mo)
- Unlimited Gold 50
Download speeds up to 50 Mbps
200 GB of high-speed data
$99.99 per month (renews at $149.99 /mo)
- Unlimited Platinum 100
Download speeds up to 100 Mbps
300 GB of high-speed data
$149.99 per month (renews at $199.99 /mo)
Much of the information you see above changes depending on where you live. For example, the 100 Mbps and 50 Mbps are only available in a few locations.
All plans you see on this list come with a two-year price lock guarantee. So regardless of price fluctuations, you can set a firm budget for two years following the purchase of this internet plan.
Also, you need to establish a bi-annual monthly contract with Viasat. This means signing up for their services requires two years of commitment.
How much do Viasat data plans cost?
If you find you run out of data consistently through Viasat, you can purchase more data through increments. However, this is far less cost-effective than upgrading your Viasat subscription.
If you need a temporary fix, there are four different data packages to choose from:
- 1 GB - $10
- 5 GB - $48
- 7 GB - $67
- 10 GB - $95
This averages to about $10 per Gigabyte, which is steep compared to non-satellite providers. Ideally, you’ll want to pay for this data through your chosen plan, not in these packages.
Does Viasat offer an unlimited data plan?
Technically, Viasat offers unlimited data with all of its plans. The limited high-speed data you see above is based on more data-consuming activities (such as video streaming).
Viasat offers unlimited standard data, meaning you can perform everyday activities (such as web browsing, social media, and email). Viasat even includes audio streaming on its list of essential activities.
Viasat’s high-speed data allowance resets alongside the printing of your next monthly billing statement. This means if your bill comes out on the 30th, your monthly data allowance will reset on that day.
Viasat plans and prices: important fees to know
There are three fees to be aware of when purchasing Viasat:
- Installation fees
- Equipment leasing fees
- Early termination fees
- Service fees
Installation fees through Viasat
The first fee, installation, isn’t always a factor. Some locations can leverage the latest internet deals to get free installation. Otherwise, a standard pole installation (where a technician comes to mount your satellite dish on a pole) starts at $75.
More complicated installations can cost several hundred dollars. You’ll also have to account for any HOA (Homeowners Association), as some local groups view satellites as public eyesores.
Equipment leasing fees through Viasat
Equipment leasing fees allow you to borrow the satellite equipment for use. “Leasing” is the important word, as Viasat requires you to return the equipment upon ending your contract.
You have two options with equipment rental fees through Viasat:
- $12.99 per month (indefinitely)
- A single payment of $299 upfront
Because of Viasat’s required two-year contract, those who plan on sticking through will find slightly more value through the $299 plan. Paying $12.99 per month eventually adds up to about $311, slightly more than the yearlong rental fee.
However, if you aren’t sure whether you want to keep Viasat for the two years, you might stick with the per-month option. However, ending your service early brings up our last fee.
Viasat early termination fees
Early termination fees (ETFs) are the fees you incur after ending your service early. Because Viasat runs on a two-year contract, the amount you pay to end your service can get up there.
The fee averages out to about $15 per month, which costs about $180 if you end an entire year of service. This, combined with the upfront equipment leasing fee, can get pretty expensive if you cancel your service early.
Viasat service fees
If you require a technician, paying for one through Viasat can get expensive. The average cost of getting a technician out to you is $95, regardless of what you need done.
Advanced requests, such as an annual dish relocation, cost $200. In this service, the technician will move your dish from one spot to the next once per year. If you need it to be moved a second time, expect service costs to increase.
Viasat has ways to make this fee less expensive, which we will discuss in our later bundling section.
Viasat plans and bundles you can use to save money
While you’ll find more internet provider services with other companies, Viasat still offers a few bundles to save some money. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of how much you can save for service bundling.
Viasat home phone service and internet
Viasat offers a Voice Over IP (VoIP) service that connects your home phone through the internet. Viasat Voice is the service Viasat uses to support this VoIP phone service.
Viasat’s home phone service costs $19.99 per month for the first six months. After this, it will increase by $10, going to $29.99 per month, making it comparable to standalone phone plans.
Viasat offers support for long-distance calls to all US states and Canada. You also get voicemail and the ability to integrate your smartphone to forward calls and check your voicemail inbox.
Viasat internet security features
Viasat Shield is an internet security platform made to help track your home network. Viasat includes this tool with their home internet plans by default, but you can get a premium version for a discounted cost.
The cost of Viasat Shield Premium is $8.99 per month. However, you can stick to the standard form for no additional cost. Here’s a quick comparison of standard versus premium services:
Standard Viasat Shield
- Allows you to view all devices and their bandwidth usage
- Monitors and blocks suspicious activity
- Offers continuous monitoring of cyberattacks through app alerts
Premium Viasat Shield
- Offers BitDefender antivirus protection for up to seven home devices
- More browser-based defense tools that prevent malicious websites from accessing your personal data
- Ability to pause internet access on devices across your network
Viasat priority customer service bundle
We mentioned that Viasat’s service fees can get somewhat expensive. To counteract this, you can pay for EasyCare, a low-cost monthly support subscription.
EasyCare costs $8.99 per month, including the following features::
- Viasat completely waives service call charges
- Annual dish relocation fees cost $95 (instead of $200)
- You have a dedicated, high-priority customer support line
Charging for priority customer support isn’t uncommon with some internet services. Other satellite internet providers also offer ways to receive priority service.
DISH Satellite television with Viasat plans
Viasat is one of the few internet service providers that partners with DISH. The collaboration offers some pretty good deals for those who love television.
First, it's important to note that the prices you see are alongside Viasat’s internet plans. So, these aren’t overall prices, just discounted TV prices you get through DISH.
Here’s a breakdown of each DISH plan and their features:
- America’s Top 120
$69.99 per month
Includes ESPN, CMT, Disney Channel, and E!
28,000 on-demand titles
Local channels included
- America’s Top 120 Plus
$84.99 per month
Includes the SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and Pac-12 Network
28,000 on-demand titles
Local channels included
- America’s Top 200
$94.99 per month
Includes Hallmark, Disney XD, A&E, Sundance, MLB Network, NBA Network, NHL Network, and the Golf Channel
35,000 on-demand titles
Local channels included
- America’s Top 250
$104.99 per month
Includes Turner Classic Movies, STARZ, Encore, The Movie Channel, Smithsonian, Bloomberg, Nicktoons, and Great American Country
36,000 on-demand titles
Local channels included
The pricing you see above includes a two-year price guarantee and one free smart DVR with two thousand recording hours included. You can also integrate popular streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video.
DISH includes the first satellite box for free. Any additional boxes cost about $7. DISH also includes free installation with all four of the plans you see above.
DISH also includes Showtime, STARZ, and the DISH Movie Pack (a smaller streaming service specific to movies) for a free three-month period. After these three months, DISH will charge $30 per month for continued access.
For the first six months, DISH also includes voice support through Google Assistant. After this period, DISH will bill you for another $10.99 per month.
While you can get some outstanding deals alongside Viasat satellite internet plans, there are a few things to look out for. Try out everything, and if it doesn’t make your life easier, don’t bother paying for it.
How to find the best Viasat plans near me
Viasat has a wide range of plans for its customers and is available nearly everywhere. But to see if this internet service provider is near your zip code, use the InternetAdvisor “Find a Provider” tool.
This tool allows you to enter your zip code and find all the internet in your area. From there, look at the providers and select the one that appeals to you. Here, you would select Viasat.
From the Viasat service page, you’ll type in additional details about your address. InternetAdvisor’s tool will easily tell you whether your address works for what Viasat offers. Using this tool, you can save yourself a lot of time on research.
