Beware HughesNet "High-Speed" Internet

Anyone looking for a high-speed internet provider would do well to steer very clear of HughesNet.

While it is true that no internet provider is without its shortcomings, it almost seems that HughesNet goes out of its way deceive and to screw customers over.

In June we planned to move from Maine to Virginia, so we researched internet providers in the area we were moving to. The HughesNet ad sounded very promising - high speed internet with downloads up to 25Mbps (actually, that is not "high speed" at all). When we inquired of the rep on the phone about whether it was unlimited, we were told "Absolutely". After all, someone who uses multiple units and works on the internet can easily download a terabyte in a  month.We told the rep we run a business online and needed unlimited access at high speed. Again he told us that is what we would get. And it would only cost about $55/month. A third time we asked, and were assured that we would get high-speed unlimited internet.

We got none of that.

We did, however, get lied to. A lot.

After a frustrating 6 weeks of speeds so slow we could not even START running a Youtube video, and even email took minutes to load, we contacted HughesNet to find out what was going on.  And now that we had signed a contract they started telling us the truth. For example, instead of no data caps, it was capped at a meager 10G, and they informed us that we used that up within days. And guess what? Once you exceed 10g, your speed is cut to 1-3Mbps instead of 25. No wonder nothing worked - 1-3Mbps is totally useless, and we would be stuck with that about 25 days out of every month!

"Oh", they said, "you can always UPGRADE to more data", for a lot more money. But even then it was only a piddling 50G.

Where we came from in Maine, for $48/month we got a steady 56Mbps download speed and no data caps. And here was HughesNet charging us $65/month for a useless 1-3Mbps, and a 10G cap
And even though we were very direct with the first rep that we REQUIRED paper billing, because we had been hacked before when we paid bills online, and the rep told us that was standard, HughesNet did not honor that - after two months we have yet to see a bill, but they keep sending emails that we can pay online.

So, here is my opinion on HughesNet - I believe they are a rip-off, and use deceptive and unethical advertising and their reps are dishonest - at least the one we spoke with. Their "service" is a  sham, and is no way considred "high speed" by today's standards.

I realize that Time Warner, Comcast and other providers anger many of their customers, but they would have to stoop a lot lower in order to be as low as HughesNet.

So, if you do decide to give HughesNet a whirl, don't say you were not warned.