As more and more people use the internet in their daily activities including work and school, entertainment, and shopping among others, having unlimited data can be considered a necessary add-on for many families. A popular satellite Internet service provider is Hughesnet which offers several data plans; however, is there a ‘true’ unlimited access in the company? Let's take a look.
What is Hughesnet?
Hughesnet is among the leading satellite internet service providers with its operations focused in the United States. Satellite internet is a type of internet service that utilizes a small satellite dish installed at the consumer’s residence to communicate with satellites that are circling the planet. It is sometimes the only or last resort available to rural areas that cannot get cable or fiber optics connections.
Hughesnet can be accessed and obtained in all the 50 states that make up the United States of America. Such aspects as high speed up to 25Mps, equipment with wireless routers for wireless connectivity, and several data plans available are some of the features you are most likely to find advertised.
Satellite internet can be very useful but as has been mentioned above there are some disadvantages associated with satellite internet service.
While satellite internet like Hughesnet makes connections possible for millions of rural Americans, there are some downsides to consider with satellite internet when compared to cable or fiber:
- More attenuation – The signal has to cover a larger distance to the satellite and then back; thus, the amount of signal loss may be higher. This might affect such usages as playing games online.
- Less efficient on price for MBs – satellite internet plans are costlier in terms of the amount of data than the other types of internet.
- Outdoor disturbances – The satellite signal may be disrupted by heavy rain, snow, or strong winds maybe for a short while.
- Data caps – programs now come with specific bandwidth limits and a speed reduction policy due to network congestion.
Hughesnet Data Plans
Hughesnet outlines several main residential data plans on its website:
10GB High-Speed Data Plan
- Limited high-speed data usage, 10 GB per month.
- Dial up the speeds as 1 – 3 Mbps once the usage crosses 10 GB
- $50 per month for 50 GB of additional data at a slower connection speed
- This package begins at $59. 99 monthly.
25GB High-Speed Data Plan
- 25 GB of high-speed data
- The speeds are decreased once the user reaches 25GB.
- Another part of the new offer concerns the additional 50 GB of monthly traffic at a slower speed.
- At $99. 99 per month.
50GB High-Speed Data Plan
- As for the Internet service, customers are offered 50GB of high-speed data.
- Slows down after 50 GB of usage Can be upgraded to increase the limit.
- Extra 100 GB of monthly traffic at the pace of 256 Kbps.
- Priced begin from $149. 99 monthly.
That’s where the concept of unlimited data comes into play, isn’t it?
Technically, all the big advertised Hughesnet service packages do not come with an unlimited high-speed data connection. However, as mentioned earlier, Hughesnet does not feature what can be directly called an unlimited plan on its website, but customers do have some choices at their disposal if they are determined not to pay for overage charges or face a slowdown in their connection speed.
- Explore Hughesnet’s business plans: While targeting the business audience, Hughesnet offers Business Internet 25 for 35GB with an opportunity to have the Unlimited Data add-on for $299. 99 monthly. The best person who can explain this is an authorized Hughesnet dealer; he or she would know if this business-tier unlimited data would apply to residential consumers.
- Combine lower-speed plans: For customers requiring unlimited data at constrained speed, there was an offer of two lower-speed plans for 119. 98 USD per month, effectively creating unlimited usage in the theoretical sense. No matter how much it transmits, speeds would still suffer especially when it reaches its usual high-speed data levels.
- Switch providers month-to-month: Some rural customers could effectively alternate between satellite internet plans that were unlimited but included throttling applied depending on usage in that month by different providers. However, this would entail the procurement of new equipment, and most probably service disruption every time changes are made.
- Use third-party solutions: Some third-party devices and applications claim enhancements in the satellite data limits, speed, latency, and other aspects. These, however, may not be very consistent, so, they could be considered as something of an uncertainty.
Make Data Needs Known
But like most Internet service providers, it is always a delicate balancing act for Hughesnet to provide fast speeds against the physical constraints of offering rural satellite Internet services to millions of customers across large geographical areas.
However, as stated above, if open-ended high-speed data is crucial to some households with activities such as conducting business or other necessary tasks using the service, Hughesnet suggests customers come forward and express their concerns while the company continues to extend service and capacity through its networks.
This research proves that there are no definitively limited high-speed HughesNet data options available to the public today. However, the customers can seek information from the provider about augmenting plan options for extending connectivity to rural homes where the demand is as exponential as data usage. Thus, the open communication with Hughesnet may further proceed through the changes in the service offering to counteract the issue of attrition with the help of the existing alternatives.
