Viasat has experienced a significant decline in its US fixed broadband subscriber base since SpaceX launched Starlink services in 2020. The number of Viasat customers in the United States dropped from 603,000 in September 2020 to approximately 100,000 at present.
The downward trend continues, with Viasat losing 15,000 users in the third quarter of 2026 alone. On average, the operator's subscriber base is shrinking by about 5,000 users every month as market dynamics shift toward low-orbit satellite internet providers.
The two companies utilize different network architectures. Viasat relies on large geostationary satellites positioned at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers, while Starlink operates a constellation of thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit at approximately 550 kilometers.
These technical differences result in varying service performance. Starlink offers a signal latency of 20–40 milliseconds, whereas Viasat experiences a higher ping of around 600 milliseconds. However, Viasat maintains high bandwidth capacity for aviation, maritime, and government sectors.
