Hughesnet’s Satellite Internet Is Getting Faster. Why That’s Good News for Rural America

Hughesnet is bringing faster speeds to its satellite internet offerings -- a major upgrade for many Americans who rely on satellite internet based on where they live. 

The Jupiter 3 satellite launched on a SpaceX rocket from Florida's Kennedy Space Center in July 2023.

For many Americans, particularly those in remote rural areas, satellite internet is the only way to get online. Availability is pretty much the only advantage to satellite internet, but customers often have to settle for higher pricing, lower speeds, limited data allowances and high latency (that’s the communication delay between two points, in this case, your home and the satellite, when sending and receiving data) compared to other internet connection types.

This story is part of Crossing the Broadband Divide, CNET's coverage of how the country is working toward making broadband access universal.

However, Hughesnet hopes to alleviate some of satellite internet’s shortcomings by introducing faster speed tiers that include more data. Pricing will be relatively low, starting at $50 to $95 per month, but the faster speeds and increased data make for a much better value than previous Hughesnet plans. There’s also the potential for lower latency, low enough to support online gaming, thanks to Hughesnet’s Fusion technology, which combines satellite internet with low-latency fixed wireless connections.

The launch of Jupiter 3, a bus-sized geostationary satellite, made the new service tiers possible. It offers up to four times the download speed than previous standard Hughesnet plans -- a jump from 25 megabits per second to 100Mbps. Upload speeds will see a less impressive spike, rising from 3Mbps to 5Mbps. Data allowances, meanwhile, increase from between 15GB and 100GB per month to between 100GB and 200GB.

The new offerings won’t have anyone switching from their fiber-optic connection or cable internet service. But they could make quite a difference in rural internet quality and capabilities for people who are beyond the reach of cable and fiber service. The faster speeds give rural residents the potential to do more with their internet, such as connecting more devices or streaming TV in a higher picture quality with less buffering, and the increased data means they can do more online before hitting a data cap.

Hughesnet has a great track record for delivering its advertised speeds, earning praise from CNET as the best satellite ISP for reliable speeds. That’s an encouraging sign that it will also deliver on the new, faster speed tiers. Here’s a look at those plans:

New Hughesnet plans and pricing

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Source: Hughes Network Systems.

Elite and Fusion advertise the same speeds and data, so why the difference in price?

Select and Elite plans use a satellite-only connection. The lengthy time it takes your modem to communicate with the satellite (latency) can affect browsing, streaming and video conferencing while online gaming is virtually impossible.

Hughesnet’s Fusion plan, on the other hand, communicates with local fixed wireless towers, creating a satellite/fixed wireless hybrid service. Max speeds and data are the same, but latency is lower, supposedly low enough to support online gaming.

The main advantage to Fusion, then, and why it costs a bit more, is that the technology shortens the distance your data has to travel, resulting in a better experience in many applications while also making online gaming possible. 

A speed boost where it counts

The upload speed jump from 3Mbps to 5Mbps isn’t particularly impressive, but it’s worth noting that the typical household makes far more use of download speeds compared to uploads. 

Download speeds determine how fast you can download data, such as pulling up a review of the latest iPhone, browsing social media or streaming TV and music. Upload speeds come into play when sending information to the internet, like posting to social media or hopping on a video call (though both activities often require upload speeds of less than 3Mbps).

So, it makes sense that download speeds would get a bigger boost while upload speeds remain relatively unchanged. That’s what we use the internet for the most, so the increase from 25Mbps to 50Mbps or 100Mbps is a welcome improvement. 

Again, 100Mbps isn’t remarkably fast, especially compared to the new wave of multi-gigabit plans that offer speeds up to 10,000Mbps and higher, but someone wise once noted that speed is relative. For those in rural areas with painfully slow DSL speeds or satellite speeds, 100Mbps could unlock new ways to use their connection.

An upgrade from 25Mbps to 100Mbps could mean the difference between streaming in standard definition or HD and possibly 4K picture quality. Faster speeds will also allow you to add more smart devices to your network, such as streaming sticks, security cameras or a new Alexa speaker, without compromising the connection quality of other devices.

Faster speeds demand more data

Let’s say you put those new speeds to the test and switch the Netflix streaming quality from standard to high definition. Your stream went from using about 1GB of data per hour to 3GB. In acknowledgment of the greater data need that comes with faster speed, Hughesnet also increased its monthly priority data allowances to help accommodate new and increased internet activity the faster speeds allow. 

The Hughesnet tiers offer 100GB or 200GB of data to use each month, compared to the 15GB to 100GB limit of prior plans. That’s a good chunk of data, but many households are likely to reach and surpass that limit, with an average monthly use of around 587GB.

Exceeding your priority data allowance won’t result in added fees -- Hughesnet plans have been and still are unlimited -- but using standard, unlimited data may come with slower speeds for the remainder of your billing cycle. If you can’t handle the slowed speeds, additional data “tokens” can be purchased in blocks of 2GB to 50GB for $3 to $50. 

New internet in time for the new year?

Hughesnet introduced the new plans at the start of 2024. Available speeds and access to Hughesnet’s Fusion service vary by location. Existing Hughesnet customers may be eligible to upgrade their plan, but the change in service comes with a new 12-month contract or fulfillment of the current term agreement, whichever is longer.

See our full Hughesnet review to learn more about its satellite home internet service and check availability in your area. Further up the page, you can also use our serviceability check tool to discover plans and providers, including Hughesnet, that are available near you.