So Long, Farewell

First of all, I would like to thank Viasat for 13+ years of reliable satellite internet service. While there have been times I have been severely frustrated with the service, it was the best option for internet I had for many, many years. I would also like to thank Viasat for changing the terms of how my plan (Freedom) worked. If not for that corporate decision, I would not have sought out alternative internet providers available to me. I have said it before, and I will say it again, while Viasat was within their right to change how the plan worked doesn't mean they should have exercised that right. They could have made modifications to the 150GB plans without taking such draconian measures. But they did. So now, someone who has used satellite internet for over 20+ years will no longer be using it. It is customers like me who Viasat should be very concerned about losing, but apparently, based on their decisions over the last few months in respect to plan changes, they are not.

So as some of you know, I am a user of satellite internet since pretty much its inception (1996). In the late 90's it was great. I was getting great speeds (for the time) and at first there wasn't even data caps. This slowly changed in the early 2000's, and ultimately I dropped Hughesnet for Wildblue (Viasat). Wildblue offered me 17GB down and 5GB up of data in a rolling 30 days. I got along fine with that, but eventually data needs increased to the point that more was needed. Viasat-1 was being launched and we all had high hopes for it. In the beginning Viasat offered a woefully small 7.5GB of data/month (up and down combined) and no free zone. At that time I was ready to switch back to Hughesnet. But then they created the 10GB/month plan and the 5 hour free zone. That got me to stay and actually Hughesnet eliminated the free zone. That "Classic 10" plan served me well for many years. Then in late 2017 I was fortunate enough to be offered the 150GB Freedom plan. That was great, no longer having to queue up stuff late at night and plenty of data for me to use. The speeds were never that great for me ever on Viasat-1, but I got by.

Like a few others on here, I had high hopes for Viasat-2. I was even fortunate enough in the summer of 2017 to get a "peak behind the curtain" of what was coming. It all looked and sounded great. But then in late 2017, early 2018 something wasn't adding up. The plans didn't match what I was expecting to see, and the nationwide 25Mbps announced even on a Tweet from Viasat never materialized. While Viasat's official stance might be the problems with Viasat-2 were minor, I personally believe the problems are far worse than will ever be shared with the public. A $180+ million insurance settlement due to lost revenue also suggests there was more than just a minor issue with the satellite.

Then came early 2019. In Viasat's infinite wisdom, they unilaterally changed how the 150GB "unlimited" and Freedom plans worked. You could experience slowdowns no matter how much data you used in a month. And talk about slowdowns. It was not uncommon for me to get speeds below 300kbps during primetime at times in February! These type of speeds were no better than what I saw on Hughesnet in the late 90's, yet this was 2019! Sure, I could change my plan to "maybe" get better speeds. But why would I pay more money to get less than what I had? I don't think so. Nor do I want to pay more money to a company who has treated a segment of their customers this way. It just feels like the wrong thing to do.

So after a month of testing, I have decided to move to a Verizon prepaid "unlimited" plan for $70/month. I had a few bumbs geting all the kinks worked out, but I now have a stable system that can deliver me at least 7 or 8Mbps during primetime with low latency and no buffering while streaming. One doesn't realize how bad the latency is on satellite internet until you switch to a different internet platform. It is like night and day and really makes a difference. I have had Viasat turned off since March 3rd, and for the last 3 weeks I have been able to do everything I did with Viasat, but faster. So staring next month, I will no longer be a consumer of Viasat. Is Verizon a good, long-term answer? I have no idea. If it doesn't work, I can install Hughesnet. Or maybe by then Viasat will offer better plan options in my area (I can't get a Liberty plan in my area for instance).

I wish everybody on this forum the best with whatever internet they decide on. I can only relate what I have found works best for me. Others may find something different works better for them, whether it be wireless, DSL, Hughesnet, or Viasat. But i do urge everybody to look at what options you may have. Don't assume Viasat is the best thing you can get. It may be, but then again it might not be. 

In closing...

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night

I hate to go and leave this pretty site

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu

Adieu, adieu, to yieu (satellite internet users) and yieu (fellow posters) and yieu (Viasat)