Verizon vs. HughesNet Internet Providers Compared

Verizon Fios offers great prices for cutting-edge, all-fiber internet with no hidden fees

Verizon Fios offers three all-fiber internet plans in most of its service areas. The first-tier begins at $49.99/month for up to 300 Mbps. Those fiber speeds are symmetrical, which means that upload and download speeds are equal. No other internet technology offers equal speeds. So you will get a lot more speed for your money with fiber than with any other type of internet connection. 1 Gig is the top speed plan for most areas, and that blazing-fast speed will only cost you $89.99 per month. Most importantly, Verizon Fios gives you stable prices from the beginning, not introductory prices that will jump up much higher after a year. Here at CompareInternet.com, we give our best ratings to providers whose prices are not only low, but also clear and consistent for customers. Verizon Fios ranks at the top of the industry for its simplicity of pricing.

Verizon Fios offers unlimited data without data caps

Another major plus of Verizon Fios is that their plans don’t impose data caps. Even with a large household of internet users streaming in HD or gaming, you won’t have to worry about your data usage. You will not face the surprise monthly overage charges that can happen under many plans with data caps.

Bundle deals on cell phone and TV

In addition to the already competitive prices of the Fios fiber internet plans, Verizon will give you the option to bundle your cell phone service and your TV. You can get very low combined deals by bundling that can save you a lot of money compared to typical cell phone plan pricing. Many customers do choose to bundle because Verizon phone service is known for its high-quality signals.

HughesNet offers prices similar to Viasat, but often for slower speeds

HughesNet offers its plans at rates that at first seem comparable to cable or fiber prices. The HughesNet first-tier satellite internet plan starts at $49.99/month. But there are two catches. The first is that $49.99/month is a promotional rate, and after the first six months, your prices will increase significantly for all plans. The second issue is that with HughesNet, you are paying for a consistent internet speed of 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload. This is high-speed internet by the FCC’s definition [2]. But it is clearly not as fast as the 100-300 Mbps you get for $50/month from a cable or fiber internet plan. And that speed also can’t keep up with the 100 Mbps or more that Viasat can offer many customers.

HughesNet uses soft data caps that may affect your internet speed

Another factor for HughesNet (and all satellite internet providers) is the use of soft data caps. When you order HughesNet service, you don’t choose a speed level as you do with other internet types. Instead, you choose your data limit for the month, ranging from 15 GB to 200 GB. If you only surf the internet lightly and use email, you can stay within a 100 GB data limit pretty easily. But if you plan large file uploads, video streaming, or online gaming, the data usage can add up fast. That’s why it’s significant that HughesNet’s maximum high-speed data allowance is 200 GB, while Viasat’s maximum is 500 GB. HughesNet does offer some solutions to help you work with their soft data caps. Their data tokens allow you to purchase extra data at the end of each month if you need more. Nonetheless, having soft data caps will affect how you use the internet. If you consistently need more data tokens, those extra charges may affect your monthly budget. Consider carefully whether you are likely to need more or less data than HughesNet will allow you under each of their plans.

HughesNet requires two-year contracts

HughesNet requires a two-year contract. If you cancel your subscription early, you will pay an early termination fee prorated by the time still left in your contract.

Verizon Fios performance is best-of-the-best with all-fiber speeds, but make sure you’re getting Fios

It’s really hard to beat all-fiber internet. If you’re getting a Verizon Fios plan, you’re going to have enough bandwidth for practically everything you need to do in your home. Fiber speeds are so fast that numerous people could be streaming or gaming at once in your home, and your connection would not slow down or glitch. Bandwidth is just not an issue for most households once you get internet speeds up past 200 Mbps. You will avoid ISP throttling and any of the other speed issues that happen with slower internet technologies. There’s just one issue to be aware of. Only 50% of Verizon’s wired network is Verizon Fios [3]. The rest is Verizon Internet, which is DSL-based. As you probably know, there is a vast difference between the speeds you get with all-fiber internet vs. DSL internet. Verizon also offers fixed wireless internet plans under LTE and 5G. And while all these plans can still give you high-speed internet, none of them will give you the premium performance of Verizon Fios. So when you’re signing up for Verizon Fios, make sure you look for the Fios all-fiber brand name. If only Verizon DSL or fixed wireless is available in your area, those can also be good options depending on what else is around. But you’ll want to check out your complete list of internet choices by entering your zip code here on our website.

A HughesNet internet connection is slower than most other ISPs

The nature of satellite internet technology means that satellite internet has always been different from wired internet in three ways. 1) Slower speeds: HughesNet’s maximum speed right now (25 Mbps/3 Mbps) is much slower than speeds for fiber and cable internet that can often reach Gigabit speeds (1000 Mbps and up). HughesNet’s maximum speed is also slower than other satellite internet providers Viasat and Starlink. 2) Weather interference: Bad weather can sometimes cause temporary slowing or outage in a satellite signal. 3) Latency: The distance of a satellite from Earth causes latency, which is a slight delay in data transmission. Despite these drawbacks, satellite service can still give you a solid connection if you live in a rural or underserved area. In today’s digital world, high-speed internet may be your ticket to education, a job, and even medical care. Satellite internet can support high enough speeds to provide you with access to these opportunities. HughesNet has attempted to address latency with their new HughesNet Fusion plans, which launched in 2022. This hybrid technology uses a satellite connection but can also route signals through wireless towers when necessary. HughesNet has not released data to prove lower latency yet. We will track the performance of HughesNet Fusion in the next year or two to see if it lives up to its promise.

Verizon Fios includes a free router with your monthly plan fee

Fios offers what we consider the best possible equipment option: no extra equipment fee. Your router is included with the basic charge for your plan [4]. You get a simpler, more predictable price because your equipment is included in your monthly fee. The other benefit of getting a router directly from your ISP is that their tech support will be better able to help you if you ever need troubleshooting. Verizon charges a $99 installation fee, but the fee may be waived with some promotions. You can also self-install Verizon Fios if there is already a Fios Optical Network Terminal in your home from previous Fios service.

HughesNet equipment requires initial investment or monthly rental fee

HughesNet equipment fees

Buying satellite equipment can be expensive. The dish and gateway for the regular HughesNet Gen 5 plans runs around $450, while HughesNet Fusion is $550. If you don’t want to invest and would rather try out service first, you can rent the equipment for $15-20 a month. Buying the equipment outright will save you money if you end up using your service for more than 2 years.

HughesNet plans include free installation

HughesNet’s installation is free. This is a nice bonus and ensures that a technician can get the best angle for your satellite dish. The technician will connect two of your devices in addition to setting up the antenna and modem/router.

Verizon Fios ranks first in customer satisfaction

In the Eastern region of the United States, Verizon tops the J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey for residential internet providers. Not only that, but Verizon has ranked first in that survey for nine years, far outscoring the competition [2]. This is especially impressive because that ranking includes Verizon’s DSL service as well as Fios. Usually, DSL providers rank much lower in customer satisfaction. Yet even with a network that is 50% DSL, Verizon is clearly doing customer service very well. Verizon has all the usual perks of customer service from a large internet provider: phone help, tech support, and a mobile app called My Fios to manage all aspects of your account. If you are lucky enough to be in the coverage area for Verizon Fios, you are going to be very happy with your hyperspeed internet connection, its low price, and with strong customer support from Verizon.

HughesNet customer satisfaction rates lowest in national survey

HughesNet has sometimes received low customer satisfaction ratings. It’s hard to know how much of that response is related to unrealistic customer expectations about satellite internet performance. Certainly, when HughesNet gets online comments from unsatisfied customers, they tend to focus on internet performance. In the J.D. Power 2021 Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction study, HughesNet ranked at the very bottom of the provider list for the South region [3]. (If you’re wondering why HughesNet did not receive a mention in other regions, it’s likely that the South has the most rural customers using HughesNet, and an ISP must serve a minimum percentage of a region’s customers to receive a rating.) So how much of this customer dissatisfaction is related to the innate limitations of satellite internet? And will HughesNet solve some of these issues by updating its technology? The J.D. Power organization believes that customer satisfaction depends on price, as they say any prices above $70 correlate to a strong decline in customer satisfaction [4]. We’ll soon see whether technology gains can help, as the next two years unfold and HughesNet deploys a new satellite. Meanwhile, remember that while satellite internet service has limitations, it can still provide high-speed internet access when your only alternative is slower DSL or no internet at all.