Viasat Internet for Seniors: Reviews and Prices

Viasat Pros and Cons

What Are Viasat High-Speed Limits?

All of Viasat’s plans offer unlimited data; however, each of them has a limit on the amount of high-speed data you can access per month. So while your internet won’t get shut off once you reach this limit, your service will no longer be prioritized. This means that if a lot of people are using Viasat internet in your area at a specific time, your service might temporarily be slower.

Which Viasat Plan Is Best for Seniors?

While there is no explicit senior discount with Viasat, you can speak with customer service to check for promotions or other deals. Sometimes, they are willing to make special offers to those of a certain age.

With that said, I would recommend their Unlimited Bronze 12 plan, as it is the most affordable. While it doesn’t offer the fastest speeds, it can give you the internet access you need to send emails, play games, and use social media.

How to Purchase Viasat

The best way to purchase Viasat high-speed internet is through their website, where you can check internet plan availability in your area. Simply enter your home address to find the plans offered where you live.

After selecting your plan, you’ll need to fill out your contact information and other details. When I selected Unlimited Bronze 12, the total came out to $49.99, plus the equipment lease fee of $12.99 per month. There was a disclaimer that said the price would increase to $69.99 after three months. Naturally, I’d have preferred that my internet price didn’t increase at all. However, I appreciated that they were honest about this, as many other providers bury this information in the fine print.

Viasat Installation

Viasat provided excellent customer service when they set up my satellite internet. They dispatched a certified technician who conducted a site survey and worked with me to discuss where the satellite should be installed. I requested to have it installed on the side of the roof, so the technician got to work and handled all the necessary cables and wires.

Overall, the entire installation process only took about two hours. They also performed other necessary configurations and helped address any additional questions I had about high-speed internet. Additionally, they helped me activate My Viasat account before signing an electronic customer agreement.

Viasat Internet Equipment

Viasat internet requires a Viasat satellite dish, transceiver and bracket assembly, and a Viasat internet modem. The equipment must be installed by a trained Viasat technician, and cannot be self-installed. In terms of equipment for use inside the home, a technician will install a new Wi-Fi Gateway that communicates with outside equipment and your home Wi-Fi network. The Viasat internet Wi-Fi Gateway consists of the modem, wireless router, and VoIP phone adapter.

Viasat offers a warranty on equipment and will replace defective equipment within the first 90 days of service. If you’re looking for additional services in tandem with your internet, Viasat also sells three additional services:

• Viasat Voice: A home phone service that’s offered to Viasat internet subscribers. It claims to be less expensive than a traditional landline phone service with prices starting at $29.99 per month for the first six months.
• Viasat Shield: This internet security service works by monitoring and blocking suspicious online activity and protecting your devices from cyberattacks.
• EasyCare: For customers who want additional customer support assistance, EasyCare can be purchased for $8.99 per month.

Viasat vs. HughesNet

The two leading providers of satellite internet, Viasat and HughesNet, differ greatly in terms of cost and speed.

Recap

Viasat provides fast internet speeds in places where the internet is not as easily accessible. Although it runs on satellite, and the pricing can be more expensive than other providers, I think it’s still a great alternative to cable internet. With Viasat, you get faster speeds of up to 100 Mbps compared to a standard 25 Mbps with HughesNet. One thing to keep in mind, though: With Viasat, you can only lease the equipment, whereas HughesNet lets you either lease or buy it.

If you plan to stream shows and more content on multiple devices, then you might want to consider Spectrum internet for seniors, which provides starting speeds of up to 200 Mbps. If you’re just looking for basic internet features such as email, downloading small files, and web browsing, you might want to consider AT&T’s basic plan, which starts at $45 per month.

To learn more, be sure to read my picks for this year’s best internet for seniors and affordable internet for seniors. Additionally, you can take a look at my hands-on reviews of different providers:

• Cox Internet Review
• T-Mobile Internet Review
• HughesNet Internet Review