Viasat Unleashed Ditches Contracts and Data Caps

On February 29, 2024, Viasat announced a dramatic restructuring of its internet packages in a bid to stay competitive with satellite rivals Hughesnet and Starlink. Viasat Unleashed is the name of its new flagship residential internet service, which features a simplified pricing structure. 

Unleashed keeps it simple by offering just a single plan with a single price and a top download speed determined by the customer’s location. Pricing starts at $129.99 per month, with available speeds ranging from 25Mbps to 150Mbps.

More importantly, Viasat departs wildly from its previous packages by offering unlimited data and eliminating the requirement for a two-year contract for new customers. Viasat also adds a $15 per month equipment lease. There is also a professional installation fee between $0 and $300, depending on the results of a soft credit check.

While it’s fair to call its data plan virtually unlimited, the company still declares that going over “normal usage,” which Viasat says is 850GB within 30 days, can result in a customer’s speed slowing during times of network congestion. This new package also does away with purchasable data tokens if you happen to run into this ceiling and need more data.

“As we continue our mission to connect the unconnected, we are delighted to introduce a single plan that significantly enhances the home internet experience,” said Jason Sophinos, vice president and general manager of U.S. broadband at Viasat. “This plan offers more consistent speeds and provides the necessary data that our customers demand, all at a competitive price—and without the hassle of an annual contract.”

This single package replaces the majority of Viasat’s packages, namely the Choice residential internet plans. These previous plans ranged from $69.99 to $299.99 per month. These several different plans featured varied download speeds and data caps, and with a two-year commitment that would result in early termination fees if prematurely canceled. It’s the first time it has made a significant change to its pricing since introducing those plans in 2022.

Unfortunately, the Unleashed plan is not available in all areas and seems to be excluded from the most rural areas. Viasat retains its older “Unlimited” plans for those customers, which still have strict priority data caps and slow download speeds of 12Mbps.

This new approach to pricing follows major movement from its two main competitors. In late 2023, Starlink hit the milestone of more than two million users worldwide since launching in 2019. Hughesnet also made big changes with the successful launch of its Jupiter-3 satellite, which allowed the service to increase its capacity and speed.

It also follows a setback for Viasat, when, in 2023, its new ViaSat-3 satellite tried to open its antenna, and an “unexpected event” occurred that hampered its full potential. While this didn’t affect current Viasat customers, the satellite was a key part of the company’s future plans, so it could impact offerings down the road (and even Viasat’s ability to take on new customers). The satellite is still operable, but not nearly at the same capacity it was planned to be, resulting in an insurance payout for the company. Viasat hasn’t discussed how or if the satellite malfunction affected their decision to restructure their residential services.

The new plan is more in line with Starlink’s packages, which also don’t involve contracts but do have pricy start-up costs. This leaves Hughesnet as the sole satellite internet provider with a mandatory two-year contract, though its prices, including discounts and free installation, still make it the cheapest option.