So you’ve packed up your things and moved your family away from the hustle and bustle of the BIG City out to the crisp, clean, country air of Rural Town, USA.. but then it hits you...

“What do these country folks do out here for high speed internet?!??”

You start contacting every internet service provider (ISP) you’ve ever been with or heard of from the likes of Comcast Xfinity to Charter Spectrum to AT&T U-Verse to CenturyLink and so on but no ISP seems to service your address.

This realization that fiber optic cables (Fios) and high-speed cable broadband internet connections are all things that you left behind in the Big City along with the traffic lights and fire hydrants can be a HUGE culture shock.

But take a deep breath… There’s no need to stress, satellite internet has got you covered on all your internet WiFi needs. It might not be the highspeed internet option you were looking for but it’s the best option you have.

Today we’re going to take a look at Viasat satellite internet.

A Little About Viasat

Viasat is 1 of 2 major satellite internet providers in the United States. The other one being HughesNet. Headquartered out of Carlsbad, CA, Viasat became a real player in the high-speed internet game after launching their Boeing built Viasat-2 satellite dish into orbit in June of 2017.

This new state of the art technology allows the company to offer customers speeds up to 100Mbps internet speed in select areas which is the highest internet speed via a satellite dish you can find in the US.

Viasat plans to launch a trio of satellites codenamed “Viasat-3” in 2021 and it boasts that it will be a gamechanger for not only Americans in rural areas as far as high speed broadband goes but as well as people all around the globe. They expect to be the world’s first Global ISP. That is not to say that there isn't competition out there, just check out the article on arstechnica.com that speaks about who the competition is and the new space race to provide internet connectivity.

So the future looks bright for all of Viasat’s customers. Let’s now review the broadband plans that they offer.

Viasat Internet Plans

If you want to quickly check to see which set of Viasat satellite internet plans are available in your area you can click here.

~ All plans require credit approval and come with a 2-year contract. Breaking the contract is a $15 penalty for every month left remaining on the 2-year agreement. You can enter into a no contract plan if you pay for the equipment upfront costing $300.

~ A credit check will determine any type of startup fees. If you pass the credit check, Installation is typically free but in some areas there will be an install fee up to $150 but can vary.

Failed credit checks doesn’t mean you cannot get the service. It just means that you didn’t qualify for the lease option for the equipment and you will have to pay $300 for the equipment upfront along with any installation fee if there is any.

~ The upload speed of 3Mbps is universal on all plans.

~ Viasat offers a “Lifetime Lease Fee” option that will erase the equipment leasing charge of $10 off of every bill. If you do the math, it’s equivalent of paying $10 for 30 months or 2 ½ years which could add savings in the long run if you plan on being a long-term customer.

~ “Unlimited” plans come unlimited data along with a set usage data threshold. When you reach your set usage threshold, you can still use the internet, but you may or may not experience slower speeds during network congestion (3-5Mbps); typically the early morning or early evening hours, when Viasat’s network sees the most traffic from people who are home using the internet.

Viasat is very good at regulating the distribution of data which keeps network congestion at a minimum which should also minimize any type of slow down periods for any customers who’ve exceeded their set usage data threshold.

~ “Liberty” plans still come with unlimited data but you’re more likely to see slowdowns with your speed if you are to exceed your plan’s data cap as opposed to the “Unlimited” plans.

“Liberty” plans also come with a “Free Zone” which happens every day between the hours of 3am-6am where you can use as much data as you’d like without pulling from your monthly data allowance.

~ Home Phone with unlimited local and long distance calling with all major calling features (3 way calling, call waiting, caller ID, voicemail, etc.) can be added for $19.99 more a month for the first 6 months and reverts to its regular price of $29.99. There is no contract for the phone, just the internet.

~ All internet packages require a valid form of payment (debit/credit card or banking account) on file that will be set for auto bill pay. You can choose to go without auto bill pay for an additional monthly fee of $5.

~ Customers are also allowed to suspend their account AKA “Vacation Mode” for up to 6 months out of the year and will only be charge the monthly equipment leasing charge ($10) during those months. This comes in handy for 2nd homes or vacation properties.

~ Viasat offers an ongoing $10 monthly bundle discount for all DirecTV satellite TV subscribers.

Viasat Internet vs. DSL Internet

Viasat or satellite internet, in general, will always offer better internet speeds than a DSL (phone line) internet connection. This is particularly true because satellite internet is a dedicated connection to one’s home.

When you’re with a DSL provider (ATT, CenturyLink, Frontier, etc.) you’re on a shared network. Being on a shared network means your speeds/bandwidth are affected by other customers in your neighborhood running off the same internet/telephone line as you and vice versa. DSL speeds are low to begin with so having to share them with other customers can make it very slow to do the most basic of internet functions.

So if your next door neighbor, who is a fellow DSL subscriber, starts watching a cat video on YouTube, you’ll see that your internet speed has been lowered; conversely, you can return the favor by starting up a movie on Netflix, dropping their speeds and bandwidth as well. That’s neighborly love!

With satellite internet, you’re only competing with the rest of your household members for your internet speeds. With DSL you’re competing with not only your household but also all your neighbors which can make the next neighborhood block party pretty awkward.

Viasat vs. HughesNet

But then something happened... The day to day needs of the common internet consumer changed. And it all came down to one main internet practice... STREAMING.

You can rarely find a person nowadays who doesn’t subscribe to a Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime or most recently, Disney Plus account or at least borrows one of their family members’ or friend’s login (Don’t worry your secret is safe with me). Heck, even our smartphones nowadays come with these apps preinstalled not to mention YouTube.

The internet speed of 25Mbps is not the issue here because only 5Mbps is required to stream in 1080p on any of these platforms without buffering. The real issue is their extremely low “soft data caps” of 10GB, 20GB, 30GB, and 50GB (50GB will run you about $160 a month). HughesNet’s plans are very similar to Viasat’s “Liberty” plans.

A “soft data cap” means that your internet won’t stop working nor will you pay overages if you go over your plan’s data limit, you’ll just be put down to a lowered speed, typically 3 to 5Mbps, for the remainder of the billing period unless you call in to HughesNet customer service to purchase “Data Tokens” or upgrade to a higher plan. 3-5Mbps could cripple a family’s home when it comes to any internet action. We’re talking speeds similar to the “AOL Days” (America Online). “You’ve Got Mail! It’s just going to take a minute to load...

Viasat saw this need in the market and created a technology alongside Boeing (well-known company that creates aircraft and spacecraft) that could handle streaming and finally give the cordcutters what they’ve been wanting in rural America. This was all launched in June of 2017 and may also be the same month HughesNet was dethroned as King.

Mostly all areas of the country have access to Viasat’s “Unlimited” plans which yeah, they say has a “soft data cap” but you’re not guaranteed a slowdown once you hit the plan’s data allowance. It only would be throttled if the network is being slammed with congestion. Viasat claims that on all their “Unlimited” plans you’re allowed approximately 100hrs of video streaming without risking exceeding your monthly data cap.

Speed is another factor that HughesNet cannot compete with Viasat on. Again, HughesNet can only offer 25Mbps whereas Viasat can offer most customers speeds up to 100Mbps. Granted the 100Mbps plan comes with a hefty price tag of $200/month but to some it’s worth every penny when it comes to having the best possible internet they can have at their home.

Limitations of Viasat Satellite Internet

Certain video games that require an instant response in online multiplayer arenas will suffer due to lag or latency. Essentially, you’ll hit a button and it will take 0.5-3 seconds for the desired action to happen on screen. It’s enough to make the most hardcore gamer rage and throw their controller through a television screen.

This all stems from the fact that the signal needs to travel from your home to outer space to hit the satellite dish in orbit and then back down to earth to the gaming servers and then back to your home, which in turn, causes this latency. It travels the speed of light but it’s still a long way up and down. Wired internet services do not have to travel to outer space and do not suffer from this latency.

First person shooters, battle royale, and sports games will suffer the most from this.

All other gaming needs will work just fine with Viasat like single player games, casino games, game apps on tablets and phones, as well as downloading new games and updates for your games.

Many online gamers and people who need to connect to a VPN to work from home remedy these 2 issues by taking advantage of the “mobile hotspot” feature included on most smartphone cell phone plans. Because there's usually a monthly data cap with mobile hotspots, they use the hotspot to game and work and use the satellite internet service for all other online activities. Pro tips!

The Verdict

Their pricing is rather high when comparing to other providers but I guess it comes down to the old adage “You get what you pay for”.

Despite limitations on online gaming and VPN’s they look to be the #1 option for streamers and heavy internet users in rural areas.

An easy way to see what Viasat can offer at your address is to use a reliable site like KonectEaze. One of their professional agents can determine serviceability for your home and go over the speeds and plans available to you.

The short answer: Well, not really. Unless, of course, you have really really bad credit score.  

For the long answer?

Read on…

It’s a norm for satellite internet providers in the U.S to check customer credit histories before approving their application. 

Why do they so?

The reason is simple; to minimize their losses. 

Satellite internet equipment can be relatively expensive.  Much more so than other internet options. As such, some customers can have a hard time paying their satellite internet bills. Since, collection efforts can be expensive for satellite internet providers; they choose to run credit checks to ensure that a prospective customer won’t run default on their payments.  These credit checks can fall into two categories, soft and hard.  When a company like AT&T (Directv)  does a hard credit check, your credit is impacted and often times your social is used to run your credit.  Viasat on the other hand performs a soft credit check which only uses your date of birth, name and address.  This can produce a more favorable result sometimes and has little to no impact on your credit score. 

So, what if a customer has a poor credit score? Will they be denied the service?

It depends on two things:

1)    What satellite internet provider are we talking about?

2)    How bad is the credit score?

Let’s take a detailed look. 

HughesNet

HughesNet will perform credit check. 

When they do, and if they find your credit score on the low side, they won’t exactly reject your service request, but they may not offer you discounts or access to their amazing leasing programs. Another downside is you may be in for some hefty deposits if your credit score is too low.  The Hughesnet deals offered to lower credit customers does not differ from the better credit customers.  The main difference is equipment cost as the hughesnet packages for lower credit customer also does not differ either.  

That said, you can still expect to receive a good internet deal from HughesNet, given the company’s reputation for providing top-notch customer service. Hughesnet high speed internet service is also ideal for consumers who live in more rural areas where services like AT&T internet are not available.  Satellite internet like Hughesnet and Viasat are known for providing quality high speed internet for folks who like to live off of the beaten path but still want to stay connected.  

Viasat

Viasat performs mandatory credit checks for every application. However, the good news is that they exercise a flexible policy to accommodate customers who have a poor credit score. Viasat packages are reasonably priced as well.  

Unless your credit score is really bad, and we mean really really bad, the company won’t reject your application.  Another thing we have found is that customers tend to think they have worse credit than they really do.  This leads to people who are genuinely interested in ordering new internet service for their home, being scared to get started because they fear the results of the credit check.  You will find that when you speak with an like the folks over at Konecteaze, they have options for customers of all credit levels.

Our recommendation is don't be scared and you will actually be surprised at how we will be able to find you a fast, reliable, reasonably priced internet service, regardless of your credit. 

DIRECTV

DIRECTV was purchased by AT&T and although it does not provide its own satellite internet services, it does partner with other ISPs to offer satellite internet packages to customers. Typically when ordering Directv, the agent will automatically see if ATT internet is available so that you can take advantage of their bundle offers.  If AT&T high speed internet is not available, they may try to sell you DSL.  AT&T DSL is cheaper but extremely slow which may inhibit common internet activities like streaming.  Face between the decision of DSL or satellite internet like Hughesnet or Viasat, satellite internet is the clear choice. 

So, the credit requirements for DIRECTV depend on the type of package you choose. Still, it’s very rare that the company will reject your application based on poor credit score. Most of the times, they’d ask you to make an adequate down payment to avail the service. This deposit can be as low as $100 to as high as $300 for the satellite equipment.  The deposit is typically paid back to you on each bill $5 at a time.  The good thing is  paying your Directv bill, or any bill for that matter, on time, will surely help to increase your credit score and allow you to take advantage of future new customer promotions like the $200 gift card being offered by some providers right now.

The other thing to consider is your Directv package cost will be the same wether your credit is good or not so the only upfront cost with ATT is the deposit.  

Conclusion

A poor credit score can hold you back in a lot of ways, but not when it comes to getting a reliable satellite internet service for your home or office internet needs. 

At KonectEaze, you can shop for the best satellite internet deal by simply entering your zip code. Get started here!

February 10, 2020

02/10/2020

Hey there Internet Explorers!  Here are some quick hits about what is going on in the world of broadband internet, satellite internet and internet service providers.

·      The Broadband Space Race is on:  

o   Last Thursday, February 6, 2020, a rocket was sent into space with the intent of changing up the landscape of what internet providers can offer from a speed and availability standpoint.  No its not AT&T, Comcast (Xfinity), Spectrum or some other big cable company trying to dominate the airwaves.  Instead, the rocket was equipped with several of hundreds of satellites to be deployed by OneWeb Satellite and SpaceX.  The goal of this and future launches is to cast a web of hundreds of satellites circling the globe aimed at giving high speed 5G internet access to each and every person on the planet.  Believe it or not, there are still rural parts of the United States that have very little access to high speed internet.  These folks have had to resort to satellite internet providers like HughesNet and Viasat to be able to provide them internet access.  Not to be outdone, HughesNet and Viasat are planning to harness the power of their existing network as well as new innovations to ensure they stay on top of the satellite internet game.  More on that to come in the near future…

·      Not as many people have Access to High Speed Internet as previously thought:

o   According to a PC Magazine article It looks like the FCC may have botched how it reported the number of Americans who have access to broadband high speed internet.  Believe it or not the article states over 42 million people don’t have internet fast enough to stream their favorite shows on Netflix. 

·      Rural Digital Opportunity Fund: 

o   Yaaay! Faster internet for all.  In January 2020, the FCC decided to allocate over 10 Billion in funding to help provide fast internet to the rest of the United States.   The Rural Digital Opportunity fund will create jobs, opportunity and most important of all the ability of all Americans to be able to binge watch their shows on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.  

·      Down goes Spectrum:

o   Spectrum High Speed Internet television and phone service came to an abrupt halt over the weekend leaving many of their customers upset, frustrated and disconnected from the online world.  This affected areas of New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and various other cities and states on the North East Coast.  It seems as though bad weather was to blame.  I just hope those customers had their DVR’s filled or old DVD’s to help pass the time trapped in their homes.  

If you’re a streamer, you’d definitely need a fast, reliable internet connection without any disturbance or interruption. Of course, your users won’t appreciate choppy video and pauses during the streaming session.

Since there are hundreds of wireless routers available in the market, choosing one can be an extremely difficult task. That’s why we’ve picked out some of the top routers that will allow you to reliably stream in highest quality without any interruptions. Let’s check them out!

NETGEAR Orbi

· Bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

· Gigabit ports: 4 (3 LAN, 1 WAN)

· Wireless protocol: Compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac

· Wi-Fi coverage: Up to 5,000 sq. ft.

NETGEAR Orbi offers fast, reliable Wi-Fi without dead zones and lag, making it a number one choice for wireless routers for streaming. Though it’s relatively expensive than other Wi-Fi routers available in the market, it’s well worth the price.

The size of this router is huge, measuring at 6 x 3 x 8 inches, so it may require additional room; however, it’s stylish and modernized design covers the bulk and make it look really eye-catching.

Orbi delivers high-speed internet, even at long ranges. Offering coverage up to 5,000 sq. ft., it ticks all the boxes of an excellent Wi-Fi router.

NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500

· Bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

· Gigabit ports: 5 (4 LAN, 1 WAN)

· Wireless protocol: 802.11ac

· Wi-Fi coverage: Medium-to-large home

Powered by cutting-edge DumaOS, NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 is an extremely powerful gear for streaming; it offers top speed, high coverage area, options for customization, which can come quite handy for streamers.

Moreover, it also gives the user complete control over their bandwidth allocation. If you’re looking for great gaming performance along with fast video streaming speed, NightHawk Pro should be your ultimate choice.

Google Wi-Fi

· Bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

· Gigabit ports: 2 per Wi-Fi pt. (1 WAN, 1 LAN)

· Wireless protocol: Compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac

· Wi-Fi coverage: One point covers 500–1,500 sq. ft.

When it comes to technology, Google is not shy from creating unconventional, smart devices to improve the existing ones. One of the best examples of this fact is Google Wi-Fi. It works with your modem and ISP to create a mesh network.

Google Wi-Fi offers solid speed and allows you to increase the Wi-Fi coverage of your home by placing multiple units around the area you need the internet. It provides excellent signals even at the remote corners of your room.

Also, it’s fairly priced and serves as a perfect value Wi-Fi router for streamers. It comes with smart connectivity system. All you need to do is scan a QR code and you’re good to go.

Final Words

These were some of the best routers for streamers that are guaranteed to provide excellent results. However, a good Wi-Fi router won’t do any good unless you’ve a good internet connection.

If you want to browse different internet service providers (ISPs), KonectEaze can help. We’re a free platform that allows you to compare top internet service providers in the US.

We sort ISPs using zip codes, allowing you can easily find the best internet packages available in your area.For more information, you can contact us at 888-376-0753.

A Little About Windstream

Windstream is primarily known as providing DSL internet in more rural areas of the US, and recently began laying fiber optic internet cables in select markets.  Although DSL speeds cannot compete with cable and fiber optic internet speeds, Windstream still tends to be the best choice for internet amongst customers living in rural areas where satellite internet seems to be the only other alternative.

With satellite internet providers having data restrictions, Windstream’s “no data caps” policy makes them a very attractive internet option for cord cutters and heavy internet users.

Windstream also offers home phone but does not offer its own cable TV.  They do however offer a “modern bundle” (using a different company to compensate a lack of service with a discount to do so) with DirecTV that adds an ongoing $10 discount off the monthly Windstream bill.   

Windstream Internet Plans

Most potential customers will only be offered DSL from Windstream.  The “Kinetic” or fiber optic plans are becoming more and more available as Windstream slowly but surely lays down fiber optic lines in all of its markets.  A helpful website that can answer whether Windstream is available in your area is www.konecteaze.com .  One of their friendly associates can not only go over the plans available at your address, but also assist you on scheduling an install.

Let’s take a look at the plans…

Some other key notes:

Installation is free but there’s a $50 activation fee that appears on your 1^st bill.

Installations can usually happen within a week of ordering.

There’s a $10 leasing charge for their modem/router but you do have the ability to use your own equipment to bypass the monthly charge.

There is no contract so you can cancel service at any time but be sure to return any leased equipment or face a hefty charge for unreturned equipment.

Where is Windstream Offered?

Windstream service is currently in 18 states.  These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.

As mentioned before, most markets will only be offered DSL internet but as time goes, more and more markets will be introduced with fiber optic internet options.

You can see if they service your address by using KonectEaze.

The Verdict

Despite the fact Windstream’s DSL internet speeds can’t compete with its cable or fiber optic counterparts, they still provide an adequate enough speed to get the job done with your everyday web browsing, schooling, online gaming, and streaming.

And although it has limited availability, their fiber optic internet can compete with any other company when it comes to fast, reliable speeds at affordable rates.

For the most part, Windstream is primarily in areas where satellite internet tends to be the “only other option”.  In this case Windstream’s uncapped data limits and pricing for speed will always be the more attractive option.