HughesNet Voice is a residential VoIP-based home phone service that is provided by HughesNet which is a Satellite internet service provider. Since HughesNet Voice is a VoIP service, it involves converting voice into data which then gets relayed through the internet. This lets users engage in voice conversations, that is making and answering phone calls through their HughesNet satellite internet connection without necessarily going for the traditional wired phone line connection.
However, it is necessary to consider the specifics of HughesNet Voice to find out its true cost. Here is a breakdown of the pricing and fees associated with HughesNet Voice phone service:
HughesNet Voice Package Pricing
HughesNet Voice is a telephony service that is available as an additional service to the satellite internet service of HughesNet. It is important to know that HughesNet Voice can only be activated for your service if you already have a HughesNet Gen5 or Gen4 Internet plan. There are two main Voice package options:
- Voice – Basic – $9. 99/month
- Through this, subscribers are allowed free local and long-distance calling within the 50 United States and Canada.
- Unlimited Voice is another plan offered by Ting at $19. 99 per month.
This offers the chance to call as much as you want to landline phones within the country, to other states in the nation, and to other countries in the world that are pre-selected. More than sixty international locations and destinations are covered.
Both packages come with an added choice of features such as voicemail, caller identity, call waiting, and much more, all of which are available at $2. 00 per month for each feature.
Thus, at the very least, you can expect to pay $9. 99 monthly for the Basic Voice plan when you already have HughesNet internet access. You can get Unlimited Voice by paying $19. 99 for a minimum package.
One-Time Fees
In addition to the monthly costs above, there are some one-time fees associated with initially setting up HughesNet Voice:
- Activation or Sign-up Fee – $49. 99 although can be sometimes fixed as a promotional offer.
- This includes charges on the setup of your Voice account with the necessary components.
- Modem Lease Fee $ 14. 99
- HughesNet Voice consequently relies on its unique Wi-Fi modem to connect phones. There is an initial charge of $14. 99 for leasing the equipment, which is one-time.
- Shipping Fee – $14. 95
The amount of fees for this standard is inclusive of the ground shipping of the HughesNet Voice modem. The delivery time is also an essential factor with the option to have the order delivered by express post at an extra fee.
Therefore, when enlisting to HughesNet Voice, the initial cost that you would incur are one-time charge of about eighty dollars not forgetting the cost of the first month of its service.
Additional Taxes & Surcharges
In addition to the base rate and fees mentioned above, customers need to prepare to pay additional taxes, surcharges, and government-mandated fees on their HughesNet Voice bill monthly. These can cost between $5 to $10 extra per month and will differ depending on the location of the apartment. Common add-ons include:
- E911 Fee – This fee is charged to cover costs incurred in supporting emergency call centers.
- Also called Federal USF The Universal Service Fund or Federal USF is a federal program that was established to subsidize the communications needs of schools, libraries, rural healthcare providers, and other facilities in the United States.
- Universal Service charges are taken by each state
- It concerns state and local taxes
About HughesNet Voice, it is highly advisable to check the extra costs and charges that are to be added to the monthly bill. They are capable of raising the overall cost to a very high level that is barely manageable by most organizations.
Buying a Phone
Even though the HughesNet Voice modem can connect to traditional wired home phones, you will have to supply the phone equipment on your own. It is also important to know that conventional handsets that can connect with VoIP services cost as low as $30. There are more advanced phones which are phone systems with multiple handsets, longer range, and onboard screens that cost between seventy dollars and two hundred dollars.
HughesNet does provide some special offers in the phone equipment, although for the Voice service—please, inquire! If you want to have a basic VoIP phone, the chances of getting it may be free or for a token price.
It has the disadvantage of not supporting facsimile devices, monitored security alarms, and dial-up modems, which are part of HughesNet Voice. Phones must be VoIP compatible, so only these phones are going to work.
Is HughesNet Voice a Good Deal?
HughesNet Voice is particularly beneficial for rural customers who cannot access traditional phone companies or mobile services, as it enables them to add voice calling on top of the satellite Internet service at an affordable price. Well, if one is paying $20 to $25 a month for a plan that offers unlimited nationwide calling then this is quite affordable. Other benefits that have been recently realized include enhanced VoIP call quality and reliability compared to traditional satellite phone services.
However, those individuals who are still using the traditional landline or possess cellular with unlimited usage will find HughesNet Voice expensive for the services they receive. The per-minute international rates are also not very low, complementing the lack of cheap local rates. But there are some disadvantages of using internet-based phone services such as the sound quality not being good, the signal being lost in case of no internet connection, 911 emergency call limitations, and so on, therefore, VoIP is not as reliable as landline service.
In summary, HughesNet Voice provides ISP subscribers with an avenue to affordably incorporate voice with data solutions. However, customers need to compare the advantages that they stand to gain by using HughesNet Voice against other phone options available in their areas before deciding on whether to use it to provide home phone services. It is important to take all the taxes, fees, equipment expenses, and services that are limited as significant factors when analyzing the costs.
