Staff Editor Kevin is an editorial director for Forbes Advisor. I have been writing about all aspects of household finance for over 30 years, aiming to provide information that will help readers make good choices with their money. The financial world can be compl... See Full Bio There are many different add-ons available to enhance the Viasat experience. Viasat Voice Viasat Voice is an add-on home phone service for Viasat customers. It works with both your home phone and smartphone. You get unlimited long distance to all 50 states and Canada as well as voicemail, call waiting, caller ID and many other features. It is a VoIP phone plan, but it promises not to cut into your data allowances for your satellite internet service. Office Hours For an additional $40 charge, you can use common work-from-home apps like Zoom, Slack, Outlook, Office 365 and more between the typical work hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. without impacting your overall data usage. DISH Satellite TV Combine satellite internet with Satellite TV with DISH TV. You can record content using a Hopper Smart DVR and qualifying customers can receive premium channels for three months. They’ll throw in a voice remote for your trouble and integrated streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube come with the service as long as you have a Hopper Smart DVR. You can also watch TV on any device with a five-in-one subscription to the DISH Anywhere app. EasyCare For an extra charge of $9.99 a month, you’ll receive no charge for required satellite service calls (usually $95), annual dish relocation at the same service address for $95 (usually $200) and priority customer service. Key Differences Between Starlink and Viasat Starlink and Viasat offer much of the same service, but here are a few key differences. Position of the Satellites The position of your service provider’s satellites is crucial to determining data transmission’s lag time and latency. Viasat only has a few satellites in geosynchronous orbit, far from the Earth. In contrast, Starlink has its satellites in a much lower geostatic orbit, closer to the Earth, allowing faster speeds, lower latency and a smoother connection. Download Speeds On paper, Starlink reports faster download speeds than Viasat. According to its website, it plans to launch more satellites to address network congestion, launching 25 more in early 2025 and having launched 21 on the last day of 2024. However, as more people have signed up for the service, Starlink’s speed has lowered, which may give Viasat a brief chance to be faster until the network congestion can even out. Installation Service Though Starlink satellites are designed to be user-friendly and meant for self-installation by the user, any rooftop installation can be dangerous and put the customer at risk. In contrast, Viasat requires that professionals install its satellites, and the provider doesn’t even charge you to do the work. Service Contracts While Viasat doesn’t require contracts to use its services, if you’re bundling home phone, internet and TV, contracts come into the picture. The benefit of contracts is that customers know exactly what they’re signing up for, the service provider’s responsibility, and their own. On the other hand, Starlink has no contracts to sign, which means customers can stop their service at any time with no strings attached, but it also means Starlink can change their product and terms of service with no notice, consequences or recourse for their customers. Key Similarities Between Starlink and Viasat Despite their differences, Starlink and Viasat do share some similarities. Unlimited Connection Starlink and Viasat offer unlimited connectivity without hard data caps. This means customers will remain connected at lower speeds even if they exhaust the allocated high-speed data included in their monthly plan. This allows them to avoid abrupt data cutoffs or additional charges. Satellite Issues Since both Starlink and Viasat rely on satellites for their internet service, they are susceptible to obstructions that could impact the quality of your internet connection. Though Starlink advertises that its dishes are weather resistant, that does not mean they can’t be damaged by weather at all or the byproducts of bad weather such as falling trees or ice and high-speed winds. For its part, Starlink offers versions of its dish that are meant to stand up to extreme temperatures and extreme environments while you’re on the move, which may make it less vulnerable than Viasat, a satellite system that is less durable and designed to stay in one place at all times. Still, both systems can be derailed by the environment and other more technological snafus. Great for Rural or Difficult Locations Viasat and Starlink both want to keep you connected wherever you are. They both specialize in serving rural areas where cable internet often doesn’t get to. Even Starlink’s mini is designed to fit in a backpack and can be used on the move. While Viasat doesn’t have a mobile option, its variety of mounts gives the impression that the satellite can be fixed in any position on a home or other building. Plus, it’s noble for both companies to keep rural communities connected to the internet since it’s now essential to everyday life. How Starlink Stacks Up Against Viasat Starlink and Viasat both offer constant connectivity to their satellite internet services because even after their high-speed data dips, a standard baseline of connectivity can be maintained. Starlink ‘suffers’ from popularity, which may temporarily lower its speeds as congestion takes over the network. Still, SpaceX has been launching more Starlink satellites into the sky to relieve this issue. Viasat advertises that it no longer requires contracts to use its service. However, you still need to commit to $12.99 per month for 24 months if you don’t choose the option to prepay and purchase the equipment for $299. On the other hand, Starlink does not offer a contract, so the client’s only option is to pay a one-time fee of $599 – $2,500 for equipment purchases. However, customers can cancel or restart their service at any time. STARLINK