What Is HughesNet Broadband Internet Service?

At time of publication, HughesNet offers three high-speed Internet plans. All plans require a 24-month commitment and fees are applicable for subscribers who terminate the service early. HughesNet service has been noted for being relatively slow and having low data caps in comparison to non-satellite broadband Internet services, according to PC Magazine. In addition, satellite Internet can be more expensive than non-satellite Internet because of the high cost related to delivering the service.

HughesNet's Basic plan offers download speeds of up to 1 megabit per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 200 kilobytes per second (Kbps). Users also have a daily download allowance of 200 megabytes (MB). With the Power 150 plan, subscribers have access to download speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps, upload speeds of up to 250 Kbps, and a download allowance of 300 MB. With the Power 200 plan, users can expect download speeds of up to 2 megabytes per second, upload speeds of up to 300 Kbps, and a download allowance of 400 MB.

Each plan offered by HughesNet caters to specific Internet users. The Basic plan is ideal for casual Internet use, such as web browsing, emailing, light downloading, and sharing photographs. The Power 150 plan is recommended for subscribers who engage in moderate Internet use and households with more than one user. Customers who use the Internet for downloading music and movies and for streaming video are encouraged to select the Power 200 plan.

Subscribers to HughesNet's Internet plans have access to several standard features. Users can register five email accounts with up to 2 gigabytes storage space with the Basic and Power 150 plans, and up to 10 email accounts with the Power 200 plan. Additional features include spam and virus protection, blog creation tools, online account management, and 24-hour technical and customer support. Subscribers also have access to a customizable web portal with news, information and favorite websites.

HughesNet is available in the contiguous United States to customers with a clear view of the southern sky. A phone line and a dial-up data modem are not required to access the service. The Internet connection reaches a subscriber's computer via a satellite that communicates through Hughes Network Operating Centers to a satellite dish and modem installed at a user's home or business. Dishes and modems required to access the services are installed by a certified installer.