For most of its existence, satellite internet was synonymous with bad internet: dial-up speeds at exorbitant prices. That all changed when Elon Musk’s Starlink launched its first satellites in 2019. Seemingly overnight, you could get a modern internet connection anywhere in the US — whether stationary, on the road or on the water. It’s still not nearly as fast as cable or fiber internet options, but prices have dropped significantly, and as of 2026, it’s finally hitting the FCC’s benchmark for minimum broadband speeds. 

Best satellite internet service providers of 2026

Best satellite internet provider overall

Starlink

A score of 6.7 out of 10 doesn’t exactly seem like a rave review, but that’s compared to all ISPs in the country. (The other satellite providers available in the US, Hughesnet and Viasat, scored a 4.7 and 5, respectively.) People living in rural areas are usually stuck with slow and expensive options. Starlink is the first nationwide rural broadband provider that bucks that trend. As one Starlink customer in Alaska told me in a previous interview, “It’s been a game changer.”

It’s only gotten better, too. While Starlink has faced some legitimate questions about its capacity — one study determined that Starlink can only support 6.66 households per square mile before speeds drop below the FCC’s minimum to be considered broadband (100/20 megabits per second) — it has continued to provide faster speeds as it’s launched more satellites into orbit.

The speed test site Ookla found that Starlink customers in the US got 127Mbps median download speeds, 21Mbps upload and 39 milliseconds latency in the first quarter of 2026. That’s still well below the 305/58Mbps the median US household gets, but it’s miles ahead of every other satellite internet provider.

Starlink has also come down significantly in price since it first launched. You no longer have to pay for equipment in most areas (formerly a $349 upfront charge), and you now have your choice between three different speed tiers: $55 a month for 100Mbps, $85 for 200Mbps and $130 for up to 400Mbps. The two faster plans also come with free professional installation, which involves mounting a satellite dish on your roof or wall.

Starlink is the best option for anyone living in rural areas — specifically in rural areas that don’t have access to fiber, cable or, in some cases, 5G home internet. (You can find every option at your address by using the FCC’s broadband map.) 

In places without physical broadband infrastructure or proximity to a cell tower for 5G home internet, Starlink is by far the best option. It’s more than twice as fast as Viasat and Hughesnet, which use geostationary satellites about 22,000 miles above the Earth’s surface, compared to roughly 342 miles for Starlink. With a much shorter distance to cover, Starlink’s speeds are closer to what you’d expect from a modern internet provider. 

The starkest difference between Starlink and its geostationary predecessors is in latency, or the time it takes for data to travel from your home to a satellite in the sky. According to Ookla’s data, Starlink has a median latency time of 39ms; Viasat and Hughesnet have 750ms and 674ms, respectively. That kind of astronomical lag associated with geostationary satellite internet makes things like online gaming and videoconferencing untenable. With Starlink’s latency time, those activities are feasible, though not ideal.

Anyone who can get a wired connection through a cable or fiber provider should not get Starlink. After years of price increases or unreliable service, you might be tempted to switch from your traditional internet provider to the plucky upstart. But the speeds you get for Starlink’s prices are still on the high side. 

A good example is Spectrum — one of the lowest-rated internet providers for customer satisfaction in CNET’s survey. Spectrum charges $40 per month for 500Mbps, while Starlink charges $55 for 100Mbps. There are other factors that impact your experience with an internet provider, but those raw numbers are hard to ignore. 

If you analyze an internet provider by the price you pay for each megabit per second of speed you get in return, Starlink’s plans have an average cost of $0.43 per megabits per second. That’s a higher price-to-speed ratio than any of the 22 cable and fiber internet providers we analyzed. If you can get a cable or fiber provider at your address, it’s almost always going to be a better value than any satellite provider, including Starlink.

• 
  
  
  Significantly faster than other rural internet options
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  Coverage almost everywhere in the US
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  Free professional installation on 200Mbps and Max plans
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  No extra cost for equipment in most areas

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  Speeds still can’t compete with fiber and cable providers
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  Vulnerable to network congestion in areas with other Starlink users
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  Hefty demand surcharges in congested areas

Operating under its parent company SpaceX, Starlink has revolutionized the satellite broadband sector. By deploying a massive constellation of over 15,000 active low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink has successfully bypassed the latency and bandwidth bottlenecks that have plagued traditional geostationary satellite providers, such as Viasat and Hughesnet, for decades. Today, Starlink provides high-speed satellite coverage to over 99% of US households. Starlink earned CNET’s award as the Best Satellite Provider because it’s helping bridge the gap to broadband deserts across rural America, delivering high-speed internet to off-grid locations that have been neglected by traditional wireline and cellular carriers.

Speeds

100Mbps-400Mbps

Prices

$55-$130

Service area

50 states, nationwide coverage

States

Service is available in New York, Texas, Illinois, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Minnesota, Colorado, Georgia, and Washington, per BroadbandNow.

Top cities

New York, NY; Houston, TX; Brooklyn, NY; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; San Antonio, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Philadelphia, PA; Bronx, NY; Phoenix, AZ; Dallas, TX; San Diego, CA; Austin, TX; Minneapolis, MN; Denver, CO; Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA, per BroadbandNow.

Coverage %

99% of US households, per FCC data

Connection type

Satellite LEO

Consumer satisfaction

8.6

Best satellite internet for travel

Starlink Roam

If you’re going on an extended trip in an RV, camper or boat, Starlink’s Roam plan using its Mini Kit is one of your best options for staying connected on the go. Last year, I spent about a week testing the Starlink Mini at my home in Seattle and in the Washington backcountry, and while speeds were more erratic than my standard home internet connection, Starlink always provided a strong enough connection for things like video calls and live TV streaming.

While Starlink’s home internet plans all come with unlimited data, the company charges for data usage on its Roam plans. It costs $50 per month for 100 gigabytes of data each month, $80 for 300GB or $175 for unlimited data. Those low data caps would be immediately disqualifying for any home internet provider, but it’s a different playing field for on-the-go internet. Other popular options for RVs, like T-Mobile’s hotspots, also cost $50 per month for 100GB, and you’ll need to be within reach of a cell tower to use it. 

If you hit your monthly data limit at any point, you won’t necessarily be cut off from the internet altogether. Instead, Starlink switches you to low-speed unlimited data, which is around 0.5 Mbps. That’s enough to send a text or get directions, but too low for streaming video.

As the only internet option for RVs or campers that can truly go off-the-grid, Starlink Roam is the best option for anyone traveling outside of cell range. Whether you want to send the occasional text to the outside world or stream a football game from the comfort of your campground, you’ll be able to do it with Starlink, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. Starlink Mini also works while driving, so you can use it to get directions or listen to music on drives through remote areas. 

All of that applies to boaters, too, but you may not be able to get service in the open ocean. Starlink says its Roam plan only works in “coastal and inland waters.” For more extended sea travel, you’ll need to upgrade to a Starlink Maritime plan, which starts at $250 a month for 50GB.

If you’re not going to be using the Starlink Mini regularly, it might not be worth the investment. You’ll need to pay $199 for the equipment itself, and Starlink no longer offers a true “pay as you go” option for its Roam plans. Previously, you could activate your service only for the month you needed it, then restart it again for your next trip. As of August 2025, Starlink started charging a $5 monthly fee for that privilege. That still might be worth the commitment for regular travels, but if you want to use it for a couple of one-off trips every year, it’s a fairly high premium.

I’d also steer some groups of campers toward a mobile hotspot rather than Starlink. These are almost always cheaper than Starlink’s $199 Mini Kit, and they’re not sensitive to obstructions like Starlink. But unlike Starlink, you won’t be able to use them outside of cell service, so they’re best for trips where you know you’ll be staying relatively close to civilization.

• 
  
  
  Internet isn’t tied to one location
• 
  
  
  Lightweight and portable
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  Plenty of speed for most online activities
• 
  
  
  Simple setup and installation
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  Intuitive and helpful app

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  Equipment costs $199
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  Signal is easily blocked by trees and other obstacles
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  Uses a significant amount of power
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  Latency spikes were common
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  50GB monthly data cap is extremely low for most people

For anyone traveling off-the-grid, Starlink Roam is the only option that provides a reliable connection away from cellular towers. All you’ll need is a clear view of the sky for high-speed internet. 

Speeds

65-260Mbps download, 15-35Mbps upload

Prices

$55-$175/mo.

Service area

50 states, nationwide coverage

States

Service is available in New York, Texas, Illinois, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Minnesota, Colorado, Georgia, and Washington, per BroadbandNow.

Coverage %

99% of US households, per FCC data

Connection type

Satellite LEO

What we’ve updated in 2026

August 2026: We completely overhauled our reviewing process for internet providers in August 2026, including new metrics for price transparency, contractual friction and overall satisfaction from CNET surveys of actual customers. That didn’t dramatically change our recommendations for satellite internet providers: Starlink was in the number one spot using our previous methodology, and it’s still our number one choice today. 

But the gap between Starlink and GEO providers like Hughesnet and Viasat has only increased since our last round of testing. (Hughesnet, one of our previous picks, also filed for bankruptcy earlier this month.) In 2026, we couldn’t find a valid reason to continue recommending those GEO providers, especially when Starlink is widely available in every area where satellite internet would be necessary. Until more LEO satellite providers become available — looking at you, Amazon Leo — Starlink is the only option worth recommending right now.

Factors to consider when choosing a satellite ISP

Choosing a satellite internet provider will involve looking at a lot of the same factors as you would with any other internet provider, including price, speed and contractual terms. But as an internet of last resort, there are some additional questions you should ask before committing to a satellite ISP.

Check other options available at your address

For the eight years I’ve been writing about home internet service, I’ve typically only recommended satellite internet when there was no other option available. Starlink has changed the calculus on that over the years as it’s lowered prices and boosted speeds, but my core piece of shopping advice still holds (mostly) true: If there’s anything else available, you should probably go with that. 

5G home internet is a bit of a borderline case. Starlink’s performance has improved enough that it can now get you better speeds than 5G ISPs like T-Mobile and Verizon in some areas. It all depends on how close you are to a 5G tower. Unfortunately, the only surefire way to find out what kind of speeds you’ll get with these providers is to try it out for yourself. Thankfully, all 5G home internet providers offer a trial period where you can get your money back if you aren’t happy with the service. If you can get solid speeds through a 5G provider, it’s still significantly cheaper than Starlink and usually a better option.

The best way to find out which ISPs offer service at your home is by entering your address on the FCC’s broadband map and comparing connection types. (You can find a complete guide to comparing your options here.)

As a rule of thumb, technology marked as copper and GSO satellite will always be worse than Starlink. But if you see anything marked cable or fiber at your address, these will usually be cheaper and more reliable than Starlink.

GEO vs. LEO satellite

For most of its history, satellite internet was generally thought of as on par with dial-up or DSL: outdated technologies that were only useful for things like checking email or (slowly) loading webpages. Starlink changed all of that almost overnight.

As Starlink’s parent company, SpaceX began successfully relaunching its rockets; it was able to send up thousands of satellites in just a few years. That massive constellation meant that it could occupy the region of space known as low Earth orbit, about 1,000 kilometers above the ground. For comparison, GEO, like Hughesnet and Viasat, hover around 35,000 kilometers from the Earth. 

GEO requires far fewer satellites — Hughesnet and Viasat have under 30 combined satellites compared to nearly 11,000 for Starlink currently — but the greater distance data has to travel means latency is far higher. Technical factors are also at play, but that shorter distance is essentially why Starlink is able to provide faster speeds than the GEO providers. 

Data caps

Data caps are a thing of the past with most internet providers, but they’re alive and well in the satellite sphere. Every satellite internet provider, including Starlink, enforces some sort of data usage policy on its plans. With Hughesnet and Viasat, this is pretty stingy: You’ll get between 100GB and 200GB of “prioritized” data, after which, you’ll be knocked down to a slower speed tier. (Viasat also offers an unlimited high-speed data plan for $100 per month.)

Starlink’s data policy is a little more complicated. It doesn’t have hard data caps, but its Fair Use Policy notes that heavy users in congested areas may see their speeds reduced to keep the network humming as it should for other users. If you’re going to be using a lot of data on your Starlink plan, you may want to upgrade to the Max plan ($130 per month), which gets “an unlimited amount of high-speed Residential data,” compared to an unlimited amount of Residential data, according to Starlink. 

Equipment fees and installation

Satellite internet requires more complex equipment than a typical connection. You’ll need to mount a dish somewhere outside of your home — commonly a roof — and that typically comes with a higher price tag. Starlink used to charge $349 upfront for its satellite dish, but it’s now including the cost in the base price. The Starlink Mini Kit still requires a $199 purchase, but you can spread the payments out on your monthly bills for a year. Starlink is currently offering free professional installation in most areas on the 200Mbps and Max plans, but it will cost an extra $99 on the 100Mbps plan. 

Hughesnet charges $15 per month to lease its satellite dish or $400 to purchase it outright. Viasat also offers a $15-per-month lease or a $250 lifetime lease. Both of them require professional installation, but the cost varies by location.

Contracts

Contracts are another hassle that nonsatellite ISPs have largely done away with. Starlink doesn’t include a contract on its Residential plans, but if you choose to walk away in the first year, you’ll be on the hook for the $349 cost of the satellite dish, which is reduced by a twelfth for each month you’re subscribed. Hughesnet requires a 24-month commitment to get its best pricing, while Viasat requires a one-year commitment on its Essentials plan ($70 per month). With both GEO providers, you’ll have to pay an early termination fee tied to the number of months you have remaining on your contract.

How we evaluate ISPs in 2026

Our new methodology combines quantitative cost-per-Mbps calculations, real-world evaluations on price transparency, qualitative contract analysis and real-world feedback from CNET’s 2026 People’s Picks ISP survey. Information was collected directly from provider websites, Broadband Facts labels, phone inquiries and press contacts. We primarily focused on fiber, 5G and satellite options, excluding DSL providers from our evaluations. If an ISP provides both fiber and 5G services, such as T-Mobile or AT&T, we scored them separately. 

The overall ISP score is determined by four weighted components: Value Score/Price Index (50%), Contractual Friction and Policy (20%), Price Transparency (20%) and Consumer Satisfaction (10%). If an ISP lacks sufficient survey data (fewer than 10 responses), the weight shifts to a 60%/20%/20% distribution across the remaining three categories. Metrics within these categories rate factors such as price-per-speed tiers, hidden fees, price lock lengths, hardware lease policies and the ease of finding FCC-required disclosures.

For a more in-depth look at how we evaluate ISPs, see our full methodology breakdown here.

*In situations where an ISP did not have sufficient data from the CNET People Picks survey, we weighted those ISPs using a 60/20/20 versus a 50/20/20/10 distribution.

Other satellite ISPs we evaluated

There are only three satellite internet providers currently operating in the US: Starlink, Hughesnet and Viasat. We think Starlink is the only option worth considering in 2026, but we still included Hughesnet and Viasat in our evaluation. Here’s how they both compared to Starlink.

Hughesnet

Despite filing for bankruptcy on Aug. 3, Hughesnet is still available to new customers, and a representative told me in an email that there will be no disruption to service as a result of the bankruptcy. 

Still, there’s not much reason to get Hughesnet over Starlink at this point. Outside of the fixed wireless provider Rise Broadband, it had the lowest value score of any ISP that we evaluated — and that’s before you factor in things like price increases, hefty equipment costs and meager data caps. Hughesnet also had the lowest score of any provider for the extra fees that it tacks on to your monthly bill.

Viasat

Like Hughesnet, Viasat is both more expensive and slower than Starlink. It narrowly edged out Hughesnet in value, earning a 4.0 out of 10 compared to 3.8. For comparison, Starlink received a 5.7 score in this category.

Its speeds are borderline unusable for a modern internet user. Viasat offers two plans: 150GB of data and 25Mbps download speeds for $70 a month, or $100 a month for unlimited data and 150Mbps speeds. In practice, Ookla’s speed test data found that Viasat was the slowest of the three satellite ISPs, returning median speeds of 41/1Mbps with 750ms latency. That kind of performance makes all but the most basic internet tasks untenable.

What are the alternatives to satellite internet?

Satellite internet is usually the last option for people living in rural areas. Most other broadband connection types offer faster (and usually cheaper) service than satellite internet.

Cable

Cable internet provides connection through the same cables (often a hybrid fiber and copper line) that providers use to provide TV services. It’s more reliable than satellite internet and offers faster download speeds. Most of the time, cable internet is bundled with TV to lure consumers into buying higher-priced packages. Companies like Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity offer cable internet.

Digital subscriber line

DSL uses telephone lines to connect users. Companies like AT&T, CenturyLink and Frontier offer DSL Internet. The good news is that copper lines are prevalent across the country. The not-so-good news is that download speeds typically fall short of what cable internet offers and usually fall short of FCC broadband standards. In most cases, these speeds are significantly slower than Starlink’s satellite internet.

Fixed wireless/5G home internet

5G home internet and fixed wireless go hand-in-hand: 5G home internet services are fixed wireless internet services. Not all fixed wireless services are 5G home internet offerings. Are you confused yet? 

Fixed wireless service means the connection between your provider and your home is not wired. That fixed wireless connection can come via cellular networks (including 3G, 4G, 4G LTE and 5G) and by satellite. Fixed wireless networks tend to be slower and more laggy than wired connections. The promise of 5G home internet — from Starry, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet — is speeds that compare favorably to cable connections.

Fiber

Fiber internet is the gold standard of the broadband world. Often referred to as “future proof,” fiber internet offers some of the fastest plans available and features symmetrical download and upload speeds. It’s more reliable than cable and is less prone to being affected by peak usage times or congestion. The only drawbacks are the cost of building it and the difficulty of creating a fiber network: Rural customers are unlikely to have fiber installed in their homes anytime soon, as most fiber internet providers focus their efforts on major cities. Companies like AT&T, Google Fiber and Verizon Fios offer fiber-optic internet. To find out more about this connection, read our fiber connectivity explainer.

Mobile hotspots

Mobile hotspots also use cellular networks, similar to fixed wireless internet, but they are not “fixed.” You can use a hotspot at multiple locations, and they aren’t dependent on your home address.

Despite the wide range of options available, each connection type varies in terms of availability, pricing and speeds. Make sure to research and compare the different options to ensure you choose the one that best meets your needs and budget.

What to look forward to in satellite internet in 2026

The gap will continue to grow between Starlink and its GEO satellite competitors, Hughesnet and Viasat. The company continues to increase speeds and add customers at the same time. If it’s able to successfully launch its V3 satellites, it could have the ability to serve between 35 and 50 million customers by 2030, according to an analysis by MoffettNathanson.

We’ve been expecting to see new LEO satellite internet competition for years from another multibillionaire, Jeff Bezos, as Amazon Leo (formerly called Project Kuiper) plans to begin offering limited service in the US later this year. While nowhere near Starlink yet, Amazon Leo’s first rocket launch took place in April 2025.

Innovations from LEO satellites will be just one piece of the puzzle of better delivering the internet to the millions of households still unable to find a reliable broadband source. We’ll keep this post updated as your options (hopefully) improve.

There will also be expanded satellite options through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, a $42.5 billion federal grant that was passed by Congress in 2021 to expand internet access to rural areas. Under the Trump Administration, changes to BEAD’s rules have favored satellite internet over its original fiber-first directive. 

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced on Aug. 25 that all BEAD projects are now approved. Work hasn’t started yet in most states, but it should increase satellite competition from non-Starlink ISPs like Amazon Leo in the coming years. We’ll continue to update this page with new information as BEAD projects break ground. 

Satellite internet FAQs

Joe Supan is a senior writer for CNET covering home technology, broadband, and moving. Prior to joining CNET, Joe led MyMove’s moving coverage and reported on broadband policy, the digital divide, and privacy issues for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. He has been featured as a guest columnist on Broadband Breakfast, and his work has been referenced by the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, National Geographic, Yahoo! Finance and more.

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