HughesNet
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Price: $49.99–$174.99/mo.*
Speed: 15-50Mbps
Data cap: 15–200 GB
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◊ Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey.
Data effective 04/11/2023. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Pricing for the first 6 months. Service plans require a 24-month commitment. Pricing not available in all areas.
Our HughesNet internet review
HughesNet offers affordable internet to rural areas that lack wired options like DSL or cable. Its pricing scheme is somewhat more straightforward than other providers, with most plans offering the same speed, 25 Mbps.
HughesNet also offers multitransport internet connections that combine satellite and terrestrial wireless under the name HughesNet Fusion. These connections provider smoother, low-latency internet for real-time applications like online games and video chat, but don’t necessarily mean a faster speeds.
Although most HughesNet customers we surveyed said they regularly received advertised speeds for their plan, during our testing we saw download speeds considerably lower than the 25 Mbps that HughesNet claims. Although our connection occasionally hit higher numbers in speed tests, consistent speeds measured much lower than what HughesNet advertises.
The flip side to this issue is that you don’t go through data very fast when your average speeds are that low, so you might be able to get by on less data than you’d normally expect, and data is what you’re really paying for with satellite internet.
Pros
- Low-latency Fusion plans
- Lower-priced satellite-only plans
- Purchased data doesn’t expire
Cons
- Lower speeds
- Lower data caps
Jump to: Hands-on testing | Plans and pricing | Speed and data caps | Fees | Installation, equipment, and contracts | HughesNet vs. the competition | Bottom line | Faq
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Our HughesNet hands-on testing
We signed up for HughesNet to see how our experience compared to the providers’ claims and the experiences of customers we surveyed. The installation process was smooth and the installers did an excellent job (HughesNet works with local contractors, so your experience may vary). We signed up for a 75 GB satellite-only plan and got to work seeing what it was capable of doing.
Testing HughesNet speeds
Right away, we wanted to test the connection’s 25 Mbps download speed. We started with various online speed tests, which gave us a wide range of results, some notably higher than the advertised 25 Mbps. Of course, we wanted to see these results in action, and HughesNet provides an app that makes it easy to track your connection’s data usage throughout the month.
Most video services suggest 25 Mbps as the minimum recommended speed for 4K video, so we found a video that offered 4K resolution on YouTube and started watching. YouTube will try to reduce your video resolution when it encounters buffering problems, even if you explicitly set the resolution in the video settings, so we used a browser plug-in to maintain consistent 4K resolution throughout the playback of the video.
We found that our connection couldn’t maintain playback on a 4K video and had to buffer extensively after each individual frame. In fact, it struggled almost as much with HD video, and without the plugin, YouTube would typically downscale the video to either 720p or 480p, which can get by on speeds below 3 Mbps.
We streamed 4K video over our HughesNet connection for 12 hours a day until we had used up all our monthly data. This took us 19 days to use 75 GB of data, with an average of between 3.75 GB and 4.5 GB being used per day. This translates to between 43 and 45 minutes worth of video over a 12-hour period. Not exactly an ideal viewing experience.
What happens when you run out of data?
One of our biggest questions in this test was what would happen after we exceeded our data cap. Would we still have at least a semi-functional internet connection or would our speeds grind to a halt? After running out of data, we got much lower results on speed tests, though the difference was not as extreme as we expected. Similarly to before, there was a lot of variability depending on which speed test we used, but a few things stood out:
- Speeds without data were slower than those with data across the board.
- Speed test results were still higher than our estimated average speeds.
- Speeds were higher in the morning and lower in the evening
The good news is that the drop off in speed isn’t as harsh as with some providers. Rather than capping your speed at some arbitrary point, it seems that your traffic is simply deprioritized, giving you slightly higher speeds during off hours and lower speeds during high-demand hours. The bad news is that regardless of what goes on behind the scenes, what you’re left with is a really slow connection.
Despite performing noticeably worse on speed tests, the difference over the course of the day seemed fairly negligible . Although we couldn’t measure the exact amount of data we were using, since the app just listed our remaining data at zero, over the course of 12 hours, we were able to get through about 43 minutes of 4K video, which is on par with what we were able to do before our data ran out. Despite HughesNet’s pricing scheme is focused around the amount of data you want to buy, data didn’t really seem to matter much in the long run.
Testing HughesNet Data Tokens
Purchasing HughesNet Data Tokens is a very easy process. The HughesNet app prompts you as soon as your data for the month starts running low, and you can purchase tokens in the app. Any purchased tokens are added to that month’s bill, so you don’t need to have a credit card ready or make an additional payment.
As soon as we added data tokens to our account, our speed test results jumped up to where they’d been before and all leftover data from the tokens carried over to the next month. Data from data tokens is listed separately from your monthly data in the app, so had we run out our data for a second month in a row, we would have already had extra high-speed data ready to go.
HughesNet testing takeaways
The biggest takeaway from our HughesNet testing is that although HughesNet connections seem capable of reaching that 25 Mbps download speed, the average speed we experienced was much lower, which makes many online activities outside the reach of HughesNet customers.
The silver lining to these lower than expected speeds is that you might be able to get by with less data than you would normally expect. Normally we strongly suggest choosing plans with higher data caps because it’s really easy to burn through hundreds of gigabytes in a single weekend, even at satellite speeds. With HughesNet, it took a huge amount of effort just to burn through 75 GB in less than a month, so it’s hard to imagine normal customers using more than 50 GB of data on a regular basis.
We haven’t yet tested HughesNet’s Fusion plans, so we don’t know what impact the added reliability that comes from a second network would have on average download speeds, but our experience was that satellite-only plans definitely struggle to deliver consistent broadband speeds.
It’s also worth mentioning that according to our latest customer satisfaction survey, most HughesNet customers reported “always” or “usually” getting their advertised speeds, so your experience may vary. Since online speed tests give wildly different results for satellite connections, it can be hard to know if you’re getting the speeds you’re paying for or not. Satellite performance can also vary by location, so it is also possible that our location was an outlier, but in any case, our connection definitely underperformed our expectations.
Compare HughesNet internet plans and pricing
| Package | Price | Speed | View on HughesNet site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion 100 GB | $99.99/mo.† | 25 Mbps | |
| Fusion 200 GB | $174.99/mo.† | 50 Mbps | |
| Satellite-only 15 GB Data Plan | $49.99/mo. | 15 Mbps | |
| Satellite-only 50 GB Data Plan | $74.99/mo.* | 25 Mbps | |
| Satellite-only 100 GB Data Plan | $89.99/mo.* | 25 Mbps | |
| Satellite-only 200 GB Data Plan | $149.99/mo.* | 25 Mbps |
Data as of 04/11/2023 Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Service plans require a 24-month commitment. Pricing not available in all areas.
†Pricing for the first 6 months.
HughesNet speeds: What’s best for you?
Most HughesNet plans all have the same advertised speed: 25Mbps. The HughesNet Fusion 200GB plan offers double the speed with 50Mbps. 25 Mbps just meets the FCC definition of broadband internet. With most plans offering the same speed, your main considerations are the amount of data you need and whether or not you want a Fusion plan.
How fast are your HughesNet speeds?
Click below for a quick speed test and find out.
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HughesNet data caps
HughesNet’s monthly data allowances range from 15 GB to 200 GB. While these options are fairly restrictive, HughesNet’s top speed of 50 Mbps (and slower average speeds during our hands-on testing) means that you can’t really do the online activities that are the most data-intensive. Those with lower data caps might still have to be frugal to make it through the month, but HughesNet makes the process of buying additional data as painless as possible.
HughesNet plans come with a “Bonus Zone,” between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. local time. When you use your internet during these hours, the data you use isn’t counted against your normal data cap, but against a separate cache of 50 GB of Bonus Zone data. This allows you to download software updates, videos, and other large files without hitting your data cap.
HughesNet also sells additional data in the form of Data Tokens. Because tokens don’t expire, extra data you don’t use this month gets carried over to the next. Satellite internet competitor Viasat also allows customers to purchase extra monthly data, but only for use in the current month, and it disappears at the end of the billing cycle. We definitely prefer HughesNet’s policy.
Our favorite plan: HughesNet 100 GB Plan.
This plan has a comparatively low data cap, even compared to other satellite plans, but as we mentioned previously, our average speed during testing came in below the advertised 25 Mbps, so you probably won’t use up your monthly data as fast as you might think. Although it’s not a huge jump in cost to the 100 GB Fusion plan, there are also increased equipment rental fees with Fusion plans, which was enough to tip the scales for us.
If your household uses the internet pretty heavily or uses latency-sensitive applications on a regular basis, The extra cost of the Fusion 100 plan is well worth it. For the average customer, however, going with the satellite-only 100 GB plan will probably be a more practical choice.
HughesNet ongoing deals and promotions + bundles
Get $25 off a month for six months on select plans. Offer excludes 15 GB plan and a 24-month commitment is required
HughesNet internet fees
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Installation fee | Free Professional Installation |
| Equipment lease fee | $14.99/mo. ($19.99/mo. for Fusion) |
| Equipment purchase | $449.98 ($549.98 for Fusion) |
| Data Tokens | Starting at $9.00 for 3 GB |
Data effective 1/3/2023. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
HughesNet’s fees aren’t abnormally high for an ISP, but they add up. Since HughesNet is often considered the more economical alternative to Viasat and Starlink, this can be a significant issue and shouldn’t be overlooked when budgeting your monthly bills.
One area where HughesNet does beat the competition is in its simple and affordable method of purchasing additional data. While it’s always cheaper to choose a plan that covers your data needs instead of purchasing additional data on a regular basis, HughesNet makes it easy to deal with occasional fluctuations in data usage.
HughesNet internet installation, equipment, and contracts
Satellite internet is known for expensive equipment and long contracts, and HughesNet is no exception.
HughesNet installation and equipment
HughesNet connections require an outdoor satellite dish, typically mounted on the roof. As such, professional installation is required. HughesNet does give you the option of purchasing your equipment, but since this investment won’t start saving you money for about 30 years, we suggest just leasing your equipment from HughesNet.
HughesNet Fusion plans come with additional equipment for connecting to wireless networks that you can set up yourself inside your home. This equipment comes with additional monthly fees.
HughesNet internet contracts
HughesNet plans require a 24-month contract, which is among the longest you see with an internet provider. We aren’t fans of long-term contracts, but they’re pretty ubiquitous with satellite internet.
HughesNet internet customer ratings
| Overall | Speed | Reliability | Customer service | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HughesNet customer satisfaction rating | 3.1/5 | 3.1/5 | 3.1/5 | 3.2/5 | 3.1/5 |
| Average rating* | 3.7/5 | 3.8/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.3/5 |
*Based on our annual customer satisfaction survey
HughesNet tied with Viasat for overall customer satisfaction in our annual survey, though it managed to edge ahead of the competition in most other categories. The biggest difference between the two was in price, where HughesNet was looked at much more favorably.
HughesNet customers also reported much more consistent speeds than Viasat, whose higher speeds are a big selling point. A full 58% of HughesNet customers say they “always” or “usually” get their advertised speeds compared to only 39% of Viasat customers reporting the same
How HughesNet compares to the competition
| Provider | Plan price range | Speeds (range) | User Rating§ | Order online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HughesNet | $49.99–$174.99/mo.* | 15-50Mbps | 3.1/5 | |
| Viasat | $59.99–$299.99/mo.† | 25–150Mbps | 3.1/5 | |
| Starlink | $110.00/mo. | 50–250Mbps | N/A | View Plans |
Data effective 04/11/2023. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Pricing for the first 6 months. Service plans require a 24-month commitment. Pricing not available in all areas.
†Prices and availability vary by location. Installation fees, monthly equipment lease fees, and taxes may apply. After 100 GB of High-Speed Data usage, you still have unlimited access to Standard Data, which may result in slower speed.
‡Plus hardware, shipping & handling fees, and tax. Fully refundable. Depending on location, some orders may take 6 months or more to fulfill.
§According to our annual customer satisfaction survey.
For those looking for faster satellite internet speeds, Viasat has a lot more options than HughesNet. Viasat plans are generally more expensive and come with some sneaky price hikes, but they offer download speeds up to four times faster than HughesNet’s one standard speed.
Newer LEO satellite services like Starlink can offer even faster speeds than traditional geostationary satellites, along with lower latency, but these satellite companies are still struggling to get up and running. Starlink is the only publicly available LEO satellite provider, and its customers are currently waiting months to get equipment. Most people can’t wait that long to check their email.
For those looking for a low-latency satellite connection, a better option might be one of HughesNet’s Fusion plans, which combine satellite with low-latency wireless connections.
Read our full reviews of HughesNet vs. its main internet competitors
Is HughesNet internet right for you?
HughesNet is the simple internet solution for people in underserved areas of the US. If you just need a connection that can handle the basics, HughesNet will get you online and probably save you some money compared with other satellite providers.
FAQ about HughesNet
Can I watch video on HughesNet?
HughesNet’s top speed of 50Mbps is technically enough to watch video (even 4K video), but we found it incredibly difficult to actually maintain those speeds consistently. We ran into serious buffering issues on video resolution above 720p.
Even if you did have the consistent speed needed to watch online video, HughesNet’s low data caps mean that it’s usually best to avoid streaming video anyway to conserve data.
One solution is to forget about services like Netflix and Hulu and sign up for satellite TV. Although this means a separate dish on your house, as well as a second satellite bill, satellite TV charges are based on the number of channels you get, not the amount of data you use. If you watch a lot of video, paying for satellite TV might be cheaper than paying for the amount of data you’d need to watch that video over your internet connection.
Is HughesNet internet actually unlimited?
All HughesNet plans have data caps. Like most internet providers, HughesNet won’t cut your internet access completely when you exceed these data limits, but rather throttles your speeds, making your connection incredibly slow. During our testing, we found that although there was a difference between normal and throttled speeds, they were actually fairly similar when averaged out across a full day.
If you run out of data, you can purchase additional data for that month with Data Tokens, which restore your speeds to normal.
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.
We tested our HughesNet connection by setting it up in a residential area where HughesNet offers service and connecting a single laptop to the network over WiFi. We then used our speed test tool and several other publicly available speed tests to gauge the connection’s speed when using monthly data, when out of monthly data, and when using purchased data from data tokens. To test speeds over time, we used YouTube videos set to 2160p 4K resolution.