You may be residing in an area where there are no fiber or cable internet connections available for you to subscribe but you badly need a good and reliable internet connection. For this, you started looking for service providers that offer wireless connection through satellite transmission or fixed wireless networks. While doing so you might get confused between Rise Broadband and HughesNet. No worries! We’re here to help with our deep comparison between these two service providers.
Rise Broadband and HughesNet are both focused on providing internet access to people in rural areas with restricted access to hard – wired communications systems such as HughesNet through the use of satellite transmission, and Rise Broadband through the use of fixed wireless networks. None of these wireless broadband is as speedy as cable or fiber, but are equivalent to wired DSL. Although both represent common customer bases, their broadband plans and policies pose some key differences. The comparative analysis below provides clarity on each of these variations.
Table of Contents
Differences Between Rise Broadband and HughesNet
HughesNet Satellite Overview
The network system of HughesNet is known to be the pioneering satellite internet service provider in the US which started their broadband satellite transmission in 1990. At present time, HughesNet has over 1 million subscribers who are both business and home clients. HughesNet is famous for providing satellite internet connections to the most rural areas of the country as well as maintaining proper speed.
Rise Broadband Overview
Rise Broadband is a satellite wireless internet service provider in the US which was formerly known by the name as JAB Broadband. The company offers a variety of plans to the customers and also serves in extremely rural places where no other satellite internet service provider can reach.
Rise Broadband provides internet access to customers by using fixed wireless internet technology. You can also get digital phone packages and a service named PC Care from the company which will troubleshoot both software and hardware components and also fix them as well.
Rise Broadband vs HughesNet Speed
Bandwidth is indeed one of the primary factor people are looking for when having to determine which Internet service provider is appropriate. Speed does indeed have a lot to do with a seamless internet experience because it relies on a decent bandwidth for things like download, upload, gaming, streaming etc.
When it comes to speed we have a definite winner here and that is Rise Broadband as their highest speed option is 50 Mbps. On the contrary, on all the 4 plans of HughesNet, there is only one option for speed and that is just 25 Mbps. All the four plans of HughesNet comes with only 25 Mbps of speed. On the other hand, Rise Broadband comes with the Rise Broadband 50 data pack which has a bandwidth of 50 Mbps.
By choosing Rise Broadband you will be able to enjoy 25 Mbps more speed than HughesNet. Thus, our clear cut winner in terms of bandwidth is Rise Bandwidth with a speed range of 5 Mbps to 50 Mbps highest where HughesNet offers only 25 Mbps data plans.
Coverage Availability
Large coverage area means that you have more chance of getting access to the internet service provider in your local area. Availability checking is a must when you are thinking about getting an internet connection. You should search and get information about the coverage area of your favourite service provider before you go for the final decision because it might happen that your favourite service provider may not be available in our area.
HughesNet provides satellite internet service across 50 states in the US covering a large area. The company serves over 1 million home and industrial clients all over the US. Major states served by HughesNet includes New York, Virginia, Alabama, California, Georgia, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, North Dakota, West Virginia, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, Washington, Rhode Island etc.
On the other hand, Rise Broadband covers a total of 19 states in the US serving approximately 879,086 customers in 1430 different cities. Top ten cities that are served by Rise Broadband include Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Omaha, Arlington, Wichita, and Lincoln.
In terms of coverage area HughesNet surely beats Rise Broadband by serving way more states and customers.
Price – Is it Worth it
Price has been one of the key considerations to think carefully when choosing an internet service provider. The variable price is more significant when you’re looking for an affordable plan that suits all of your internet needs like surfing, streaming, gaming, broadcasting, etc. If you don’t weigh this aspect wisely, you could end up with a bad service provider for at least 12 months as most of the ISPs offer plans with a contract of 12 months.
The price range of HughesNet starts with $59.99 per month for a pack with a data cap of 10 GB and bandwidth of 25 Mbps. Highest priced data pack of HughesNet is the 50 GB data pack that will cost you $149.99 per month.
On the contrary, with Rise Broadband you can get a connection started by paying as much as $29.95 per month with a data cap of 250 GB and a bandwidth of 25 Mbps. The costliest data plan of Rise Broadband is the Double Data 50 plan which will cost you $79.95 per month
So, when we are talking about price and looking for a budget plan Rise Broadband is the definite winner because they have plans costing as low as $29.95 per month where the lowest costing plan of HughesNet is $59.99 per month. The most costly data plan of Rise Broadband also costs $70.04 less than the highest costly plan of HughesNet. So, if you are looking for a budget plan you should go with Rise Broadband.
Data Caps – Is It Enough For My Use?
Almost all internet service providers try to limit heavy data usage by limiting the highest amount of data that can be used by customers. Both HughesNet and Rise broadband limit data use by using data caps in almost all their data plans as they are satellite internet connection providers. Their plans are based mainly on data caps and the larger the data cap the more you have to pay.
HughesNet data packs have data caps of 10 GB, 20 GB, 30 GB and 50 GB in their four packages. However, this is no hard data cap which means that you will still be able to use the internet but your speed will be slowed down to 1 Mbps to 3 Mbps after crossing the data cap implied in the plan. There is no unlimited data plan in the deal list of HughesNet.
On the contrary, Rise Broadband also implies data caps in their internet plans up to 700 GB but they also have unlimited plans that has no data cap. For example, you can subscribe for the Unlimited Data 50 plan which gives you unlimited data at only $49.95 per month. Thus, Rise Broadband is the winner here in terms of data caps as they also have unlimited data plans at a reasonable price.
Contracts and Fees
All the internet plans of HughesNet require a contract of 2 years which is a long period of time. On the other hand, Rise Broadband offers data plans with both contract and no-contract options. So, you will get much flexibility with Rise Broadband. Rise Broadband has two plans with 2 year contract and three plans with no agreement option.
If you select HughesNet you get stuck for 2 years and you will face a huge penalty of $400 if you cancel within the first three months and $15 per month if you cancel after three months. On contrary, if you go for Rise Broadband and cancel their contract plans before expiration you will face a fee of $250 which us less than HughesNet.
So, our winner here is Rise Broadband because they also come up with plans that have no contract implied and also termination charge of contract plans are less than HughesNet.
Installation and other fees
HughesNet has an installation charge of $199.99 and also a potential extra set-up charge of $99. You can either buy or lease their satellite dish as well as a modem. Purchase of this equipment will cost you $349.98 and if you want to lease you will have to pay $9.99 per month.
On contrary, the installation fee of Rise Broadband costs only $75 and no additional charge other than the monthly fee of leasing a receiver dish and a modem at $11 per month. The installation fee of Rise Broadband is way lower than the fee of HughesNet. Thus, Rise Broadband beats HughesNet here also.
Customer Service Rating
HughesNet has not got any rating in the American Customer Satisfaction Index in 2020. However, it got a rating of 64 in 2019. It is rated under the category of all others in the ACSI report 2020. There are always some unhappy customers reviewing bad about HughesNet which makes it clear that HughesNet has a lot to improve in their customer service.
Rise Broadband is not also rated individually in the 2020 report ACSI. There are also a lot online complaints by customers. The company has turned to show customer reviews in broadbandnow website where it got a rating of 2.7 out of 5. Almost all ISPs get negative reviews and frustrated customers which is not new and both HughesNet and Rise Broadband has their share.
Rise Broadband vs HughesNet: Internet Plans
Internet Plans of HughesNet
10 GB Plan
- 25 Mbps Download and 3 Mbps Upload Speed
- Data Cap 10 GB
- 2 Years Contract
- Bonus Data: 50 GB (2am to 8am)
- $59.99 Per Month
20 GB Plan
- 25 Mbps Download and 3 Mbps Upload Speed
- Data Cap 20 GB
- 2 Years Contract
- Bonus Data: 50 GB (2am to 8am)
- $69.99 Per Month
30 GB Plan
- 25 Mbps Download and 3 Mbps Upload Speed
- Data Cap 30 GB
- 2 Years Contract
- Bonus Data: 50 GB (2am to 8am)
- $99.99 Per Month
50 GB Plan
- 25 Mbps Download and 3 Mbps Upload Speed
- Data Cap 50 GB
- 2 Years Contract
- Bonus Data: 50 GB (2am to 8am)
- $149.99 Per Month
Internet Plans of Rise Broadband
Rise Broadband 25
- 25 Mbps
- No-Contract
- 350 GB Data Cap
- $29.95/Mo.
Rise Broadband 50
- 50 Mbps
- No-Contract
- 350 GB Data Cap
- $39.95/Mo.
Unlimited 25
- 25 Mbps
- No-Contract
- No Hard Data Cap
- $39.95/Mo.
Unlimited 50
- 50 Mbps
- No-Contract
- No Hard Data Cap
- $49.95/Mo.
Double 25
- 25 Mbps
- 24 Months Contract
- 600 GB Data Cap
- $69.95/Mo.
Double 50
- 50 Mbps
- 24 Months Contract
- 700 GB Data Cap
- $79.95/Mo.
Best 3 Similar Service Providers
Viasat
This company is the 3rd largest provider of satellite internet in the US which provides similar services at almost same prices as HughesNet and Rise Broadband. Their plans start from $50 per month.
CenturyLink
If you want same price for whole life, no fluctuations of price and no contract plans you might give CenturyLink a try. They also provide satellite internet at a reasonable price.
Exede
If you faster download as well as upload speeds for gaming you can select Exede which have similar plans and services as Rise Broadband and HughesNet.
FAQS of Rise Broadband and HughesNet
Can I monitor my data usage?
Yes, you can monitor your usage by going to the website and logging in your account.
Will my connection be stopped after crossing the data cap?
No, your connection will be slowed down in HughesNet and you will be charged $3.5 in Rise Broadband plans.
Are HughesNet and EchoStar the same company?
HughesNet is a subsidiary of Echostar.
Bottom Line:
Through our in-depth comparison between Rise Broadband and HughesNet, it has been found out that Rise Broadband won in the majority of the sections such as speed, price, installation charges etc. If you are looking for a budget plan at a reasonable price you should go for Rise Broadband.
