HughesNet Business Internet Review

HughesNet for Business plans start at $69.99–$199.99 per month. They all offer the same speed: 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload speed. But the more expensive the plan, the more data you get. And with satellite internet, it’s all about the data, folks.

So yeah, as long as you haven't exceeded your monthly data allotment, all HughesNet speeds are the same—unless you reach your data allotment before the end of the billing cycle, in which case you'll experience reduced speeds.

That's because, even though HughesNet technically offers unlimited data, you still get only your plan's portion of premium, high-speed data. After that, you may still be connected to the internet, but it's at those reduced speeds we mentioned. How reduced, you ask? Your download speed will be 1–3 Mbps—which is like a turtle plodding along a rocky path on a windy day.

Checking email should work fine at reduced speeds, but if you own a B&B and even one guest is trying to stream Netflix on speeds like that, you better have free coffee nearby (and maybe homemade cookies) because aggravating buffering pauses are likely.

HughesNet satellite internet can’t deliver the breakneck speed of fiber internet companies, but it can deliver a reliable connection in hard-to-reach areas. If you have a business in a small town or rural area, HughesNet for Business might be your best option.

We recommend checking out all available business internet companies in your area before you sign up with HughesNet for Business. Even those much-hated cable companies can deliver faster speeds with unlimited data.

Just because you don’t have to fight rush hour traffic every morning doesn’t mean you don’t have internet options. In addition to satellite internet, you might have some of these connection types in your area.

As long as you have a steady internet connection, you can run many businesses from almost anywhere. In fact, if you’re doing something like writing your latest novel and you live in an area with good mobile phone coverage, you can maybe even get by with hotspotting off your mobile phone plan when it’s time to send off a manuscript to your editor.

Most small to mid-sized companies will require a dedicated business internet plan, although small businesses might just need a residential plan if you have fewer than five employees. AT&T Business, Comcast Business, and CenturyLink Business all offer plans that cater to the unique needs of growing businesses—including increased security, white glove customer service, VPN support, and a stationary IP address.

HughesNet for Business can deliver steady service to rural areas, but it isn’t for everyone. If your business uses a lot of data, you’ll run into issues with the data cap. That’s why we recommend that if you have internet options available that don’t have a data cap (like fixed wireless or cable), check out those services first.

But if you’re lucky enough to own a B&B in a small-but-oft-visited town where your guests enjoy life outside their screens, then HughesNet satellite internet might be the best way to keep your business running smoothly through 2020.

Small businesses with one1 to three3 employees often save money in the city by using a residential plan. But not so with HughesNet. The 35 GB HughesNet for Business plan ($69.99/mo.) gives you the best value on data for the money. So, if the business plan is available in your area, we recommend it.

HughesNet for Business plans start at $69.99 per month. This gives you 35 GB of data per month at broadband speeds of 25 Mbps. If you reach this limit, you’ll have an unlimited amount of much slower data (1-3 Mbps) for the rest of the month. Plans with up to 100 GB of monthly data cost $199.99 per month.

HughesNet is reliable in the sense that you can get a steady connection. As long as you have a clear view of the southern sky, it will work. Sometimes it might go out during storms, which can be frustrating, but otherwise your signal should be pretty steady.

HughesNet satellite internet plans are unlimited in the sense that you can keep using your connection at reduced speeds after you hit your data cap. This data races along at 25 Mbps and can support most online activities (other than multiplayer gaming—but hopefully your employees aren’t playing Fortnite on the clock anyway).

Once you hit the data allotment, your speeds will slow—dropping to around 1 to 3 Mbps. You can keep using data for the rest of the billing cycle, but everything will be a lot slower—whether that’s ringing up purchases for your customers, sending emails, or anything else. Some internet activities might not work at all.

If you're coming up short every month, you can always bump up to a bigger internet plan (the easy route) or buy additional Data Tokens as needed, which are actually pretty cost-effective.

You should get satellite business internet if your business is internet-dependent and located in an area without cable, fiber, DSL, wireless, or standard types of internet connection. Some small towns don’t have many options, which is why satellite internet is often selected even though it’s usually slower and more expensive than other types of internet service.. Even in very rural areas you can usually get a satellite business plan.

Keep in mind that any kind of satellite or mobile data connection will require some data budgeting, since these types of services generally have data caps. If you are checking emails and printing packaging labels all day, you might not need much data and satellite internet will work well.

But data limits are tricky to navigate for people working with large image files, like photographers, designers, and YouTube-ers. If you use lots of data—or your customers are streaming video all day at your laundromat—then check out every other option first because satellite internet’s data cap can be a real bummer.