Sue Marek | July 15, 2025

Latency is the Achille’s Heel for HughesNet, Viasat

Despite performance improvements over the past three years, GEO satellite providers HughesNet and Viasat can’t compete with Starlink when it comes to latency and download speeds. 

Key Takeaways

  • HughesNet saw its median multi-server latency improve from 1019 milliseconds (ms) in Q1 2022 to 683 ms in Q1 2025. Viasat’s median latency increased slightly over that time period from 676 ms in Q1 2022 to 684 ms in Q1 2025.  But neither are remotely close to matching Starlink with its median latency of just 45 ms in Q1 2025. 
  • HughesNet more than doubled its median download speeds from 20.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 47.79 Mbps in Q1 2025 while Viasat increased its median download speeds from 25.18 Mbps to 49.12 Mbps during that same time period.
  • Upload speeds are another area where GEO satellite constellations struggle to compete with Starlink and other low-Earth orbit systems. HughesNet has increased its median upload speeds from 2.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.44 Mbps in Q1 2025 but that is still far lower than Starlink, which has a median upload speed of 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025. Viasat saw its median upload speeds decline over that same time period from 3.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 1.08 Mbps in Q1 2025.
  • HughesNet and Viasat are losing subscribers at a rapid rate thanks to competition from LEO satellite provider Starlink with its lower latency and faster download speeds.

Geostationary (GEO) satellite providers HughesNet and Viasat are best-known for providing consistent coverage across large land masses. But because they operate in geostationary orbit rather than low-Earth orbit (LEO) and because they have fewer satellites in their constellations, they struggle with speed limitations and latency, making it difficult for them to compete with LEO providers such as SpaceX’s Starlink.   

The challenges facing these GEO satellite providers have become more pronounced over the past few years, particularly as Starlink has moved aggressively into the U.S. market with promotions such as its recent offer to provide free equipment to new customers in states where it has excess capacity. 

Both HughesNet and Viasat have attempted to counteract Starlink’s impact by lowering their price plans and touting their customer service, however both companies are losing subscribers at a steady pace. HughesNet’s subscriber base has declined from 1.22 million in 2022 to just 853,000 in Q1 2025. Likewise Viasat’s subscriber count has dropped from 590,000 in fiscal Q4 2021 to just 189,000 in Q1 2025. 

HughesNet and ViaSat Subscribers Over Time
2022 and Q1 2025
A comparison of HughesNet and ViaSat's subscriber counts

HughesNet, Viasat Can’t Compete in Latency

Transmitting data from a satellite to Earth is no easy feat because of the distance involved. GEO satellite systems such as HughesNet and Viasat orbit about 22,000 miles above the earth so signals have a much greater distance to travel than Starlink’s satellites that orbit the planet in low-orbit (about 340 miles above earth).  Because of this HughesNet and Viasat have difficulty competing with Starlink in latency. 

HughesNet uses a trio of satellites named Jupiter to form its geostationary constellation.Jupiter 1 was launched in 2012 making it possible for HughesNet to debut its first high-speed satellite internet service. In 2016, the company added Jupiter 2, which expanded its North American coverage. In July 2023 HughesNet launched Jupiter 3, a high-capacity Ka-band satellite that enabled the company to boost its download speeds and increase its capacity. 

The impact of the launch of Jupiter 3 was evident in Speedtest data. HughesNet, which has traditionally had a much higher latency than Viasat, saw its median multi-server latency decline from 910 ms in Q2 2023 when Jupiter 3 launched to 853 ms in Q3 2023. The company’s median latency has continued to decline every quarter and in Q1 2025 its median latency was 683 ms and on par with Viasat but nowhere near Starlink’s average median latency of 45 ms in Q1 2025. 

Like HughesNet, Viasat relies on three satellites to deliver its fixed broadband service. Viasat-1 was launched in 2011. Viasat-2 was launched in 2017 to add more capacity and geographic coverage and in May 2023 Viasat launched Viasat-3 F1 to deliver more coverage in North America. The satellite provider has said it plans to launch Viasat-3 F2 later this year and Viasat-3 F3 in 2026. 

In addition to the three satellites Viasat operates, the company also owns a fleet of satellites that it acquired when it purchased Inmarsat in May 2023. Those satellites primarily operate in L-band and Ka-band and are used for maritime and mission-critical applications. 

However, unlike HughesNet, Viasat’s latency has remained fairly flat over the years and increased slightly over time from 676 ms in Q1 2022 to 684 ms in Q1 2025.  

A comparison of HughesNet, ViaSat and Starlink's Median Latency
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
Starlink's low-Earth orbit median latency compared with geostationary satellite system's median latency

HughesNet, Viasat Download Speeds Are Rising But Fall Far Below Starlink

Facing competitive pressures from Starlink and other LEO players, HughesNet and Viasat have made efforts to increase their download speeds. 

For example, HughesNet supports its satellite broadband service with a dedicated fiber backbone and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically reroute traffic and reduce network congestion. The company also offers a service in select areas called HughesNet Fusion that combines satellite connectivity with ground-based fixed wireless connectivity to reduce latency and improve responsiveness. 

Viasat uses an advanced spot beam technology on its satellites that are intended to more efficiently use spectrum and deliver higher bandwidth to specific geographic areas and help reduce congestion. 

Of course, at the same time HughesNet and Viasat were making these improvements, both providers were losing customers at a fast rate which also helped reduce network congestion.

Speedtest Intelligence® data gathered from Q1 2022 through Q1 2025 shows that HughesNet more than doubled its median download speeds from 20.87 Mbps in Q1 2022  to 47.79 Mbps in Q1 2025 while Viasat increased its median download speeds from 25.18 Mbps to 49.12 Mbps during that same time period. 

HughesNet and ViaSat Median and 75th Percentile Download Speeds
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
ViaSat and HughesNet's median download speeds

However, these median download speeds still fall far below that of Starlink, which has steadily added more satellites to its constellation and significantly increased its median download and upload speeds. After experiencing a decline in median download speeds between Q1 2022 and Q3 2022, US Speedtest users on Starlink’s network saw their median download speeds nearly double from 53.95 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 104.71 Mbps in Q1 2025. 

But when looking at the 75th percentile of users for HughesNet and Viasat we see that the majority of users actually experience much higher download speeds. For example, HughesNet subscribers in the 75th percentile saw their download speeds increase from 34.02 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 95.97 Mbps in Q1 2025.  The satellite provider saw a significant increase in download speeds between Q4 2023 and Q1 2024 which was likely due to its launch of the Jupiter 3 satellite in late July 2023.

Likewise, Viasat users in the 75th percentile saw their download speeds increase from 55.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 78.55 Mbps in Q1 2025.  Nevertheless, these download speeds are still far below Starlink. The 75th percentile of Starlink users experienced download speeds of 137.96 Mbps in Q1 2022 and that increased to 161.42 Mbps in Q1 2025. 

HughesNet’s Upload Speeds Are Rising, Viasat’s Are Not

Upload speeds are also an area where GEO satellite constellations struggle to compete with Starlink.  HughesNet has increased its median upload speeds from 2.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.44 Mbps in Q1 2025 but that is still far lower than Starlink, which has a median upload speed of 9.81 Mbps in Q1 2022 increasing to 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025. 

Viasat, however, saw its median upload speeds actually decline over that same time period from 3.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 1.08 Mbps in Q1 2025. This phenomenon was less pronounced when looking at the 75th percentile of Viasat users who experienced just a slight decline from 4.64 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.46 Mbps in Q1 2025. 

Upload speeds are also an area where GEO satellite constellations struggle to compete with Starlink.  HughesNet has increased its median upload speeds from 2.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.44 Mbps in Q1 2025 but that is still far lower than Starlink, which has a median upload speed of 9.81 Mbps in Q1 2022 increasing to 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025. 

Viasat, however, saw its median upload speeds actually decline over that same time period from 3.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 1.08 Mbps in Q1 2025. This phenomenon was less pronounced when looking at the 75th percentile of Viasat users who experienced just a slight decline from 4.64 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.46 Mbps in Q1 2025. 

HughesNet and ViaSat Median and 75th Percentile Upload Speeds
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
ViaSat and HughesNet's median Upload speeds

This decline in upload speeds happened in advance of Viasat’s launch of its Viasat-3 F1 satellite in May 2023. Viasat had hoped that the new satellite would alleviate some capacity issues. However, when the satellite launched Viasat said that it experienced an antenna deployment anomaly that significantly reduced its planned capacity. As a result, Viasat has had to rely more on its existing older Viasat-1 and Viasat-2 satellites, which may explain the slower speeds. 

Maryland, Nebraska, Hawaii Benefit from Best Download Speeds

On a state-by-state basis, Maryland is a hot spot for HughesNet users, who clocked median download speeds of 98.03 Mbps and median upload speeds of 8.73 Mbps. Hughes Network Systems, which is the parent of HughesNet, is based in Bethesda, MD and it’s likely that this is where new technologies are tested and rolled out, which explains why some of the speeds may be higher in the state. In addition, HughesNet also has a lot of contracts with the federal government, including the Department of Defense and the General Services Administration, giving them an extra incentive to provide strong service in Maryland and the areas surrounding Washington, D.C. 

Nebraska HughesNet users also are getting stronger speed than the rest of the country.  Nebraska users experienced median download speeds of 77.11 Mbps and median upload speeds of 5.03 Mbps in Q1 2025. HughesNet Fusion, which combines satellite connectivity with ground-based fixed wireless connectivity, is offered in Nebraska and may be contributing to HughesNet’s higher-than-average median download and upload speeds in the state.

Hawaii is a hotbed for Viasat users. According to Speedtest data Viasat users in Hawaii experienced median download speeds of 77.24 Mbps in Q1 2025, which is a big increase from Q1 2022 when Viasat users in Hawaii logged median download speeds of just 18.03 Mbps.

Download Speeds Are Slowest in New Jersey, Mississippi

On the other end of the spectrum,  Viasat users in Mississippi are only getting median download speeds of 27.85 Mbps as of Q1 2025 which is the lowest median download speed for Viasat in all of the 50 states. 

Likewise, HughesNet users in New Jersey are only getting median download speeds of 35.56 Mbps as of Q1 2025, which is the lowest median download speed for HughesNet in all of the 50 states. 

GEOs Face Uphill Battle

Despite launching new satellites and making improvements to  performance  over the past three years, GEO satellite providers HughesNet and Viasat are struggling to compete with Starlink and its advantages such as lower latency and faster download speeds. 

Nevertheless, HughesNet and Viasat offer consistent connectivity in areas where other connectivity  options are scarce and provide a viable solution for customers that are not latency sensitive. 

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