Among the most often used satellite internet companies available in the United States nowadays is HughesNet. Right present, Gen 4 and Gen 5 are the two versions of their satellite internet service. These provide internet connections throughout the country and run different satellites and technology. Let us first clarify what distinguishes HughesNet Gen 4 from Gen 5 before we go on. Further down we run the two services against one another in many categories.
HughesNet Gen 4 offers satellite broadband internet services that aim to satisfy the needs of its consumers.
Older satellite internet technology still in use today by HughesNet Company is HughesNet Gen 4. Originally presented under the HughesNet Gen4 brand in 2012, it is intended to provide consumers with quick internet access. It depends on the EchoStar XVII satellite and provides internet access to portions of Alaska and Canada as well as the full continental United States. Important features of HughesNet Gen 4 are:
- Delivering download speeds of 10 – 25 Mbit/s
- The upload speeds are 2 – 3 Mbps
- Employ the satellite known as EchoStar XVII which was launched in the year 2012.
- The theoretical latency of response is 600 ms – 700 ms.
- For the basic plan, it provides the consumer with 30GB of data usage per month.
HughesNet Gen 5 is one of the most popular satellite internet services to date, and in this article, we will discuss its main features and capabilities to help you decide whether it is right for you or not.
HughesNet Gen 5 is the latest generation high-speed satellite internet service provided by Hughes Network Systems started in early 2021. It has enhanced features improved speed and less delay through the HughesNet Jupiter 3 satellite. Some key capabilities offered by HughesNet Gen 5 are:
- This download speed range is 25 – 50 Mbps.
- In terms of the upload speed, what can be expected is 3 – 10 Mbps.
- About The Site HughesNet uses the Jupiter 3 satellite which was launched in 2021.
- Latency lowered to an interval of 400ms – 550 ms
- Unlimited data package in basic plan for data usage of 50GB per month.
Speed Comparison
The primary difference that can be observed between the two generations is the speed of Internet connection. Gen 5, available from HughesNet, is notably faster in terms of download and upload rates compared to Gen 4.
Gen 5 increases the initial download rate from Gen 4 from 25 megabits per second to 50 megabits per second. Gigabit plans are introduced on Gen 5 where maximum download speeds rise from 25Mbps of Gen 4 to 100 Mbps. Even the upload speeds that are highlighted as the major issue for streaming get a considerable increase. Upload speed is also higher at the Gen 5 baseline, 10 Mbps compared with 3 Mbps at Gen 4.
Thus, Gen 5 offers the much-desired high internet speeds for supporting more connected devices and bandwidth-hungry activities online.
Latency Difference
Latency relates to the duration that is taken by data to get to satellites and come back again. Less latency is desirable because it implies less lag or delays when using the internet.
HughesNet Gen 5 has less latency than Gen 4 which is a big improvement to the system. The latency of Gen 5 is 400 ms to 550 ms while Gen 4 latency is 600 ms to 700ms. These latencies are reduced which leads to improved web page responsiveness, smooth streaming of content, and online gaming, as well as video conferencing services.
Data Allowance Plans
By Gen 4, all plans are put on a monthly data allowance to ensure capacity on the satellites is controlled and all, similarly, Gen 5. Gen 5 is more advantageous in the quantity of data it provides in their plans than Gen 4.
The starting plan under Gen 5 offers 50GB of data while the basic Gen 4 plan has only 30GB of data offer. The provider has also provided more of the higher tier, which includes 150GB on Gen 5 as compared to Gen 4’s 100GB per month. Increased allowances imply that the users can stream, browse, and download more each month over the internet.
Coverage Area
While both generations operate on different satellites, their service coverage in the United States of America may not tally fully. The internet that Gen 4 affords is available to approximately 99% of the population of the United States. Gen 5 broadened this coverage to even more than 99. 3% of the Americans.
Gen 5 introduced new coverage areas over the places with limited coverage in certain parts of Alaska, eastern Oregon, northern Maine, and US territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands. Thus, increasing the availability of high-speed satellite internet was one of the outcomes of Gen 5 for some rural and remote areas.
Technology Improvements
In HughesNet Gen 5, there are more up-to-date satellite and networking technologies than Gen 4. Some of these technology enhancements include:
- The greater satellite capacity means that internet speeds are faster.
- Heavy use of metadata to maintain high speeds during contentions
- Mentioned above is the provision of better Wi-Fi signals and a wider coverage area.
- The model supports enhanced category 6 LTE speeds of the satellite receiver.
- Enhanced cybersecurity provisions
Thus it is possible to conclude that Gen 5 provides the technological enhancements to produce the improvement in the performance, security, network, and quality of user experience.
Pricing Comparison
Some of the Gen 5 plans that HughesNet has are more expensive than the Gen 4 plans that are offered. The basic strategy begins at $59. 99 months on Gen 5 compared to $49. 99 per month on Gen 4. However, Gen 5 plans offer superior speeds and carry higher data.
Other aspects also dictate final plan pricing like promotional offers, service fees, equipment cost, contract duration, and add-ons. Thus, the actual paid price may be different for consumers of the two generations and it is not necessarily true that the second generation will be cheaper than the first generation.
Conclusion
It means that HughesNet Gen 5 undoubtedly outlines significant enhancements in the realms of satellite Internet and its utilization compared to Gen 4. However, there are definite advantages to upgrading to Gen 5 service including higher transmitting speed, reduced latency time, wider coverage area, and improved technology. Gen 5 plans are often more expensive, but the quality of satellite internet combined with a highly upgraded connection is beneficial for most customers who have no other choice but to use satellite internet as an alternative to cable or fiber.
