Satellite Internet Comparison

Internet is no longer
Earthbound

Compare every satellite internet provider on Earth - and beyond. From Starlink to the International Space Station, find the best connection for your location.

Compare Providers Internet in Actual Space

Last updated: March 2026 · 10 providers tracked · 31+ countries covered

Constellation Tracker

Live Constellation Tracker

11,276satellites in orbit today

54,686 planned by 2030

Actual Projected
4k8k12k16k20k20202021202220232024202520262027202820292030NOW
2026 (current)Export Data โ†’

Sources: planet4589.org, FCC filings SAT-MOD-20200417-00037, keeptrack.space (March 2026); Amazon official updates, FCC Order DA 20-690, FCC Jan 2026 expansion to 7,736; Eutelsat Group investor reports, oneweb.net (Gen 1 complete; 340 Gen 2 ordered Jan 2026); satellitemap.space, SpaceNews, China-in-Space.com; KeepTrack, china-in-space.com, ITU filings GW-A59 + GW-2. Projections based on FCC/ITU filings and announced deployment schedules. Actual counts may vary. Machine-readable data available via API.

Satellite Internet Providers

Active services and upcoming constellations, compared.

New to satellite internet? - What LEO, GEO, and MEO mean for your connection

Satellite internet beams broadband from space to a small dish at your home. It works anywhere with a view of the sky - no cables needed. The key difference between providers is orbit type, which determines speed and responsiveness.

How satellite orbits affect your internet

LEO 500-2,000 km

Low Earth Orbit

Satellites fly close to Earth, so signals travel fast. Feels like regular broadband. Need thousands of satellites for full coverage.

Latency: 20-60ms Gaming: Yes
MEO 8,000-20,000 km

Medium Earth Orbit

A middle ground - faster than GEO, fewer satellites needed than LEO. Mainly used for enterprise and maritime.

Latency: 100-150ms Gaming: Possible
GEO 35,786 km

Geostationary Orbit

Satellites hover over one spot, so just a few can cover the whole planet. But the distance causes noticeable delay.

Latency: 500-800ms Gaming: No

Latency is how long a signal takes to travel to the satellite and back, measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower is better. For context: video streaming works fine with any latency, video calls need <300ms, and online gaming needs <100ms.

Speeds below are advertised maximums. Real-world performance varies by location, time of day, and network congestion.

Quick Comparison

Provider Orbit From Max Speed Latency Data Cap Equipment Self-Install
Starlink LEO $50/mo 400 Mbps 20โ€“60ms Unlimited $349 Yes
HughesNet GEO $40/mo 100 Mbps 600โ€“650ms Plan-dependent Not announced No
Viasat GEO $69.99/mo 150 Mbps 500โ€“700ms Unlimited Not announced No
OneWeb (Eutelsat) LEO Enterprise/mo 195 Mbps 30โ€“70ms Unlimited Not announced No
SES mPOWER MEO Enterprise/mo 500 Mbps 100โ€“150ms Unlimited Not announced No

Consumer - Available Now

Starlink logo

Starlink

LEO
$50/mo

High-speed, low-latency broadband from LEO

400 Mbps 20โ€“60ms 10,139/19,400 sats
Viasat logo

Viasat

GEO
$69.99/mo

Satellite internet for home and business

150 Mbps 500โ€“700ms 4 sats

Enterprise Only - not sold to individuals

Upcoming - not available yet, specs may change

Not announced

China's mega-constellation - 108 in orbit

TBD 60โ€“70ms 108/13,904 sats
No public website available
Not announced

China's state-backed LEO network - 163 in orbit

TBD TBD 163/12,992 sats
No public website available

Why satellite users need a VPN

VPN for Satellite Internet

Satellite internet routes your data through ground stations that may be in other countries. Without a VPN, anyone at those stations can see your traffic. A VPN encrypts everything so only you can read it.

+ 2 more VPNs compared. See all 5 →

10 providers tracked · 31+ countries covered · Updated March 2026