Which Is Better, Starlink or HughesNet?

Monday, January 23, 2023 | Chimniii Desk

Key Point

HughesNet offers plans that include free installation and monthly payments as low as $45
There is an initial fee of $599 and monthly payments of $110 for Starlink's starter kit. The Starlink satellites are close to the Earth.
HughesNet uses HEO satellites. HughesNet has a larger number of customers than Starlink.
The number of people who have access is limited because of Starlink's growth phase. The evolution of satellite internet capabilities for the last 20 years has been an amazing journey as humanity continues to reach for the stars.
It's a good idea to compare Starlink and HughesNet to see how the technology has changed. We will lay out a vision of where we are now and what to expect in the near or distant future with the imagination of modern visionaries like Musk.

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The Starlink vs. Hughesnet: 10 Must-Know Facts

HughesNet is the highest-rated satellite internet provider in the U S. by consumers Starlink uses low Earth satellites for lower latency than HughesNet. The closer Starlink is to Earth, the faster it is compared to HughesNet from 25 Mbps to 50 Mbps.

HughesNet was founded in 1971 Starlink was announced in 2015 with the opening of a satellite facility. Satellite constellation technology was first developed by the military in the 1980's. HughesNet has revenue. Starlink is projected to hit $1 billion. There will be 19 billion in 2022.

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The plan to destroy Starlink was published by Chinese military researchers. HughesNet was designed out of a garage in Rockville, Maryland. Musk has a net worth of $250 billion, making him the wealthiest person in the world.

The Starlink vs. HughesNet: Full Comparison

Now, let’s break it down even further to see how these two satellite biggies compare in the areas that the average consumer is most concerned with

The Low Earth Orbit is against the other side of the planet.

High Earth Orbit (HEO) Satellites

This is where the rubber meets the road or, should we say, the signal hits the user, when comparing these two satellite ISPs

The Starlink satellites are close to the Earth. HughesNet uses HEO satellites. It has to do with the end user. The longer it takes for information to be transmitted back and forth, the better. Hughes Aircraft and NASA created soft-landing vehicles in the 1960s. Imagine what another 50 years will bring if you will.

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When it comes to the number of consumers that have access to the two services, HughesNet is the winner. U.S There are a limited number of people who have access to Starlink. As the company continues to follow through on its plans, this will change as Starlink is available on all 7 continents. South and Central America are now open to HughesNet's services.

The Starlink vs. HughesNet: Price

Price is another winner for HughesNet, as they offer plans that include free installation

The starter kit of Starlink costs $599. HughesNet has monthly payments as low as $45, while Starlink has monthly payments as high as $110. We put a check in the HughesNet column when it comes to price. The one deciding factor that Starlink can use to justify their higher prices is addressed in the next section and is still under scrutiny to see if they can provide the speeds they are promoting.

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The Starlink vs. HughesNet: Speed and Latency

When it comes to speed and lag, we can look at two metrics: what do the companies promise? What do their customers have to say?

As far as the first source of information, it looks like this:

HughesNet’s plan touts download speeds of 25Mbps, but this can vary in different locations when tested

As your price increases, Starlink offers 50 to 200Mbps. There are concerns that Starlink is slowing down as they acquire more users. The v2 is launching by Starlink. The constellation has 0 laser-communicating satellites. This could affect how well they can live up to their promises.

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We looked at customer reviews on Trustpilot and ProductReview. com To get a feel for what real users are saying. The consensus is that Starlink is delivering on its promises. Starlink's customer service received the most negative feedback.

HughesNet gets a better grade for customer service, but not for the speeds they advertise. According to customer opinions, Starlink gets a slight edge when it comes to reliability.

The Starlink vs. HughesNet: Reliability

With both companies providing internet through satellite technology and the issues that accompany it, we have to make this one a tie

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Mother Nature is going to have issues with any satellite signal. It is difficult to overcome the changes in the atmosphere caused by the weather when your information is being passed through this environment. It will be interesting to see if internet entrepreneurs can beat this. It doesn't seem likely in the near future. The better-than-nothing philosophy that some internet consumers have to factor into the mix is what this takes us back to. In remote, rugged, and desolate places around the world, you may just have to do the best you can, and that is going to be a satellite.

The Starlink vs. HughesNet: the Future

So, speaking of the future, what do these two satellite companies have upcoming that could change who wins the battle to bring you quality internet?

Starlink is going to continue launching its v2

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There are 0 satellites that could change how it performs. HughesNet could have a hard time keeping up with the promised speeds if they can't deliver them. HughesNet's Gen 5 edition has opened to countries like Brazil and India and continues to grow. S. Alaska and Puerto Rico have their own markets.

Summing it Up

So, which one wins? This is really a tough call in this case

This is going to come down to a tie and end up being very subjective, if we look at all the metrics above. HughesNet is the winner if price is your main concern. Starlink is the best bet if speed and latency are important to you. If the weather doesn't cooperate, you'll have to live with a satellite if you're in a place where there won't be fiber.

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