Popular in rural areas and remote communities,
HughesNet and
WildBlue are two of the leading satellite high speed internet providers. While they offer similar services, and require the purchase or lease of similar equipment, there are some key differences between their high speed internet offerings.
HughesNet
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Offers three plans and speeds to choose from starting at $59.99 a month regularly, the first three months are $39.99.
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Download speeds ranging from 1.0 Mbps to 2.0 Mbps.
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Upload speeds ranging from 200 Kbps to a maximum of 300 Kbps.
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Offers service to the 48 contiguous states.
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Requires a certified installer to connect equipment.
WildBlue
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Offers three plans to choose from (Value, Select, Pro) which are $49.95, $69.95, and $79.95 a month respectively.
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Upload speeds range from 128 Kbps to a maximum of 256 Kbps.
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Download speeds range from 512 Kbps to a maximum of 1.5 Mbps.
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Includes free email accounts (five to ten, depending on selected plan).
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Offers service to the 48 contiguous states.
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Requires a certified installer to connect equipment.
In addition to the monthly fees above, you should also pay attention to equipment and installation fees for each service. Both companies also frequently offer additional rebates to help bring the final cost of the system down.