With the growth of satellite internet in the recent past, the existing consumers can now choose between various satellite internet service providers (ISPs). Satellite internet can offer broadband services to those regions in the country where cable and fiber optic connection cannot be made available. In the future, probably in 2024, satellite internet is expected to be more common, and its speed and effectiveness will likely increase. Below is a list of the market leaders offering satellite internet services as per the projections for 2024.
Viasat
The company is most likely to remain among the leading satellite internet providers in 2024. They currently provide download speeds of up to 100 Mbps in some parts of the U.S. The ViaSat-3 satellite constellation that is set to launch within the next couple years will increase capacity and offer 1 Gbps speeds. Viasat wants the ViaSat-3 constellation to be global, meaning that no matter where you reside, rural USA, a solitary village in the waste area of Africa, you have access to high-speed Viasat satellite internet.
HughesNet
Although it may not be ranked as the current number one satellite internet provider in the United States as of 2022, having over 1.5 million users, HughesNet will likely remain at the top in 2024. HughesNet Gen5, the current SatMex satellite broadband, has speeds of 25 Mbps and is projected to hit 100 Mbps by 2023. It is also important to realize that with the launch of HughesNet Gen6 in the year 2022, there will be more new and quicker as well as unlimited data plans. It is expected that HughesNet satellite internet will be even more accessible by 2024 given that the company has expansion expansion plans in North and South America.
Starlink
Starlink from SpaceX has entered the market relatively quickly given that the service was launched in late 2020 in the beta version only, and as of mid-2022, there are over 500000 users. Starlink has a download speed that ranges between 50 to 200 Mbps and is faster than the current technologies available. Once SpaceX starts launching satellites at a faster rate – with a current projected rate of 42 thousand by mid-2027 – the speeds will increase, and latency will plummet. Recently Elon Musk announced that Starlink will provide global coverage by the year 2024. The combination of its state-of-the-art satellite technology and its affordable offering places the company on track to become among the leading satellite ISPs.
OneWeb
While it was launched in 2022, OneWeb is yet in the process of deploying the planned constellation that includes 648 satellites for the global coverage. Once operational, they have lined up telephony giants such as AT&T telecommunication and BT to offer the services. They say if they get there, OneWeb’s satellite broadband service with download speeds of up to 500 Mbps could change the market. Geared to the Arctic region at the moment, OneWeb plans to offer worldwide service by the end of 2023 – so they are going to become a significant contender in 2024.
AST SpaceMobile
AST SpaceMobile uses the “space-based cellular broadband” where it directly communicates with cell phones via 3GPP standards. More than One Billion existing phones are capable of utilizing AST SpaceMobile and do not require any other accessory. They aim to reach worldwide coverage by the end of 2024 based on test flights and their BlueWalker 3 production satellite to be launched by the end of 2023. If AST SpaceMobile executes this path as planned, they are positioned for significant disruptive growth in 2024 and beyond.
The Bottom Line
Satellite internet service has evolved greatly in recent years due to the increase in satellite constellations and other technology advancements. All of the leading satellite internet providers should reach 1 Gbps or nearly that mark by 2024 and global coverage including very rural areas or even no coverage at all. HughesNet and Viasat technologies will remain unrivaled because of their early entry in the satellite internet market, while entrants such as Starlink and AST SpaceMobile have the potentiality to disrupt the market because of incremental innovations in satellite technologies and networks. As far as broadband internet without geographic limitation is concerned, 2024 and the period thereafter look poised to mark the age of satellite ISPs irrespective of the location of the consumers.
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