ViaSat revs up Exede satellite Internet speeds

Carlsbad-based ViaSat has doubled download speeds on its Exede satellite Internet service in select markets, making it the fastest satellite broadband available in the U.S.

The recent upgrade, which is being offered in about one-third of the company’s satellite beams, revs up speeds from 12 megabits to 25 megabits per second for downloads — hitting the Federal Communications Commissions’ target for what constitutes broadband.

It also puts Exede ahead of its top Internet-satellite competitor, HughesNet, which advertises top-end download speeds of 15 megabits on its two highest-tier rate plans.

The move will test demand for faster Internet speed among satellite Internet subscribers, many of whom live in rural areas outside the reach of cable or DSL lines.

It comes ahead of the launch of the local company’s second Internet satellite in about a year. Now under construction at Boeing, ViaSat-2 will be able to deliver much faster speeds than 25 megabits, said Lisa Scalpone, vice president of ViaSat’s Broadband Services division.

“We hope to learn that this makes our customer happy,” said Scalpone. “We do believe providing a superfast service that stays ahead of DSL is really important.”

The company launched its first Internet satellite, ViaSat-1, in late 2011, offering a standard 12-megabits-per-second service for about $50 a month, plus a $10 a month lease fee for the modem/router.

The basic service has a 10-gigabit-per-month data cap, which has been criticized by some broadband advocates as too limited for Netflix or other high-quality video streaming services.

ViaSat offers other plans with larger data caps of up to 30 gigabits per month. Prices range from $70 to $110, plus the modem lease fee.

The company has been juggling data plans recently so users get unlimited streaming during off-peak hours or when the network has excess capacity. “What we are trying to do — as a bridge to the ViaSat-2 service — is pull out the data caps and make them less of an issue for subscribers,” said Scalpone.

ViaSat-2 is expected to allow much higher data usage for subscribers. For competitive reasons, the company has declined to say just how fast and or how much additional data it will offer customers once ViaSat-2 reaches orbit.

ViaSat’s Exede service has 687,000 residential satellite Internet subscribers nationwide. The company also powers high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi on JetBlue, Virgin America and some United Airlines aircraft.

About two-thirds of ViaSat’s home-satellite beams are full, so the 25-megabit service won’t be offered in those markets. But it will be offered in the beams with available capacity, many of which are in the Western U.S., said Scalpone.

The upgrade will be available to new and existing Exede subscribers this month. They must order a new router, which includes built-in Wi-Fi and voice over satellite capabilities. The router can be self-installed. There is no additional charge beyond the $10 monthly lease.