Hughesnet and Dish launch satellite internet and TV bundle
Rural customers now have a new option: Internet and TV bundles. Hughesnet and Dish TV (both part of EchoStar) launched a number of new services on Thursday. This saves you $10 per month if you choose the combination. That means $5 off on Dish services and $5 off on Hughesnet.
There are some caveats to keep in mind when considering Hughesnet and other satellite internet plans. Get only 100-200 GB of prioritized data each month. Hughesnet will then deprioritize the rest of the month’s data. This means that “during high-traffic times, your speeds may be slower than other traffic.” (The average American household uses 641GB Monthly data amount)
Hughesnet charges a monthly fee of $15 to $20 to rent the equipment, but also has the option to purchase it upfront for $300 to $450. Installation will add another $99 to $200.
Finally, Hughesnet’s prices increase by $25 per month after the first year, and if you want to end the service early, you’ll have to sign up for a two-year contract at a higher rate.
There are three Hughesnet plans to choose from:
- select: Download 50Mbps, Upload speed 5Mbps, Latency 650ms, Priority data 100GB
- elite: Download 100Mbps, Upload speed 5Mbps, Latency 650ms, Priority data 200GB
- fusion: Download 100Mbps, Upload speed 5Mbps, Latency 100ms, Priority data 200GB
Here’s a breakdown of your options with bundle savings in mind:
cooking plan | fuse net plan | Total monthly fee |
---|---|---|
America’s Top 120 ($80) | Select ($50) | $130 |
America’s Top 120 ($80) | Elite ($65) | $145 |
America’s Top 200 ($100) | Select ($50) | $150 |
America’s Top 250 ($110) | Select ($50) | $160 |
America’s Top 200 ($100) | Elite ($65) | $165 |
America’s Top 120 ($80) | Fusion ($95) | $175 |
America’s Top 250 ($110) | Elite ($65) | $175 |
America’s Top 200 ($100) | Fusion ($95) | $195 |
America’s Top 250 ($110) | Fusion ($95) | $205 |
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You also have the option to remove local channels from your Dish package, saving you $12 per month. You can pick up these channels for free with your TV antenna, but it may be hard to get all of them in rural areas.
Is the Dish and Hughesnet bundle a good deal?
I only recommend satellite internet or TV to people who live in rural areas and have no other options. That also applies to these dish and fuse net bundles. If cable, fiber, or fixed wireless is not available, satellite is a last resort. DSL is usually a better option as well. So if you need satellite and TV, these Dish and Hughesnet bundles are perfect for you.
Starlink is the fastest satellite internet provider, but it has a hefty equipment fee of $599 upfront and plans cost $120 per month. With Starlink’s speeds and unlimited data, you can easily add live TV streaming services like Hulu Plus Live TV ($77 per month) or YouTube TV ($73). Other satellite internet companies such as Hughesnet and Viasat would have a hard time supporting this type of live streaming service.
Viasat doesn’t offer bundle discounts like Hughesnet or Dish, so you’ll have to pay the full price for your TV service. And with internet-only rates starting at $100 a month for 25-150Mbps, you can’t add a TV for less than what Dish and Hughesnet are offering.