HughesNet Internet Prices: What You Should be Paying for WiFi

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HughesNet is a reliable provider of Home Services like Gen5 internet plans and phones. They have a wide availability across the United States with many opportunities to bundle. But what should you really be paying for Wi-Fi when you use HughesNet? Are there plans really worth the cost?

Pros and Cons of HughesNet Internet

Pros	Cons
HughesNet is available in all 50 states so it is the most widely available internet service provider and anyone in a rural area who might not have access to other companies can at least access HughesNet	They require a two-year contract and you can face early termination fees if you change your contract or cancel it before that time
All of their plans come with a 20 Mbps download speed, and no matter what plan you have you can’t increase this	Their initial plans come at a higher Wi-Fi cost but, all of their plans include free installation in that cost and an additional 50 GB of what is called Bonus Zone data every month
If you add a phone to your bundle you can get a discounted internet cost and in most situations you can keep your existing phone number but, if you make any changes during the course of your contract, it can increase the price for your internet	This company is not listed among customer satisfaction rankings such as the American Consumer satisfaction index or JD Power

HughesNet Low Cost Internet Plans

HughesNet offers for different plans each of which are named for the gigabytes included in the Wi-Fi prices.

Plan Name	Starting Price	Download Speeds
10 GB	$49.99	25 Mbps
20 GB	$59.99	25 Mbps
30 GB	$89.99	25 Mbps
50 GB	$139.99	25 Mbps

However, the fine print of your HughesNet low cost internet plans stipulates that the starting price is just that, a starting price.

Firstly, it doesn’t include taxes or any additional fees for things like equipment.
Secondly, it can be changed at any time based on where you live and is typically increased at the Midway point of your two year contract.
Thirdly, the download speeds for which you pay are not guaranteed. In the fine print of your contract HughesNet makes it very clear that the actual speed you get can vary based on where you live and even if you are paying the plan worth 50 GB and 25 Mbps 4 downloads, you might not get that.

Moreover, depending on the plan you have, you get a specific amount of monthly data with your internet. If you go over that, no matter how soon into your billing cycle you are, HughesNet will reduce your internet speed to the range of 1-3 Mbps until your next billing cycle.

How Does the Bonus Zone work?

The Bonus Zone allows you an additional 50 gigabytes of data at no extra cost, every month. But don’t get too excited. Most people think the bonus zone simply gives them that extra amount of data every month but it only applies between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 am. Not many people are busy working from home or doing school from home during these hours.

Is the lowest cost high speed internet plan from HughesNet the best offer?

You get what you pay for and each of these plans is designed to meet the needs of different users. For example, the 10 gigabyte plan is best for homes that only have one person in them who only occasionally browse the internet. The 20 gigabyte plan is recommended for small households and for people who work from home.

The 30 gigabyte plan is recommended for moderate sized households and those who work from home while the 50 GB plan is recommended for larger households particularly for families who not only work from home but have children attending school virtually.

Does HughesNet have unlimited internet with no upfront cost?

HughesNet internet plans each include a set amount of data but if you go over that set amount, you can still use your internet but at a reduced speed. So technically the company does have unlimited internet data, but there can be an upfront cost.

Equipment and fees

HughesNet plans include a router and a modem in one device. You can either purchase this device up front for $349.98, or you can rent it for each month of your required 2-year contract at a monthly fee of $14.99.

HughesNet purportedly stands out among the competition because the internet cost includes your standard installation so there isn’t an additional fee. However, while this sounds appealing at face value, they have higher cost for their initial plans, specifically the 10 GB and 20 GB plans because they are including the cost of your installation in this monthly fee.

If you cancel within the first 90 days of your contract, there is an early termination fee of $400 decreased by a fee of $15 for every month you have had your service after the first 90 days.

How Does HughesNet Compare to Other Providers?

Below is a quick comparison of HughesNet with Cox internet:

Provider	hughesNet	Cox
Starting price at	$59.00/month plus taxes, additional fees, and other terms	$29.99/month plus taxes, additional fees, and other terms
Internet Speeds	25 Mbps	10-940 Mbps
Data Cap	No hard data caps	1 TB/month
Contract	Two years	One year

HughesNet is one of the better options particularly for those who live in rural areas that don’t have fiber optic or cable connections. Usually in these areas there are no other providers.

The satellite internet that HughesNet provides is faster than DSL. It’s available in all 50 states, has the extra 50 gigabytes of bonus Zone data, and according to the FCC has some of the most accurate speeds when you compare advertisements to actual performance.

Bear in mind that all of their plans have one speed tier, you do have to sign a two-year contract, and satellite internet does come with high latency which means you won’t be able to use HughesNet for most online gaming.

Problem with your HughesNet internet cost?

If you sign up for a HughesNet internet plan but your internet costs are not what you expected, they charged you unnecessarily, or didn’t honor things like the Bonus Zone, we can help.

At Fairshake, we can help you get a resolution to your problem with HughesNet quickly and easily.