(Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Facing competition from SpaceX’s Starlink, Viasat is consolidating its satellite internet plans for consumers into one service that costs $99 per month.
The Viasat Unleashed service plan does not have contracts or data caps and aims to simplify Viasat’s satellite internet service for home internet users. "This plan offers more consistent speeds and provides the necessary data that our customers demand, all at a competitive price—and without the hassle of an annual contract,” says Viasat VP Jason Sophinos.
The company is likely reacting to Starlink offering a faster satellite internet service, also with no contracts or data caps, which has helped SpaceX attract over 2 million customers.
In contrast, Viasat was offering various plans from $49.99 to $199.95 per month, with most of them imposing data caps and requiring contracts. The cheaper plans also featured speeds of only 12Mbps, 25Mbps, or up to 50Mbps—significantly below the up to 150Mbps or higher download speeds Starlink users can receive in the US.
In response, the new Viasat Unleashed program promises speeds between 25Mbps and 150Mbps, but only in select markets. To pull this off, Viasat says it implemented a “network optimization with the goal of delivering a more consistent, enhanced user experience to more customers.”
Still, the new Viasat Unleashed plan does come with some conditions. For example, users must pay $15 per month to lease the company's satellite dish, which requires a professional installation. In addition, there's no mention of the latency or upload speeds.
Viasat adds: "No contract is not available in all locations and only available to new Viasat customer."
The other catch is that while Viasat Unleashed features no data caps, the company can still slow down your speeds if you exceed 850GB of data during a 30-day period. To sign up for Viasat Unleashed, interested customers will also need to undergo a credit check, requiring them to submit the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Viasat introduces the new program after HughesNet began offering upgraded speeds using the company's new Jupiter 3 satellite. In Viasat's case, the company last year launched a new ViaSat-3 Americas Satellite, which initially suffered a major malfunction. Since then, the company has been working to restore some of capabilities. Last month, Viasat executives said recent tests show the ViaSat-3 Americas satellite delivering download rates from 200Mbps to 300Mbps, with the goal of kicking off its commercial service later this year.
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