Internet around the world is improving. That is because of internet access provided through communication satellites. The newest satellites are geostationary and can achieve speeds of up to 506 Mbps. Additionally, some companies are developing low earth orbit satellites to allow for low-latency internet access. If you use satellite internet, you are usually on a metered connection. That can range from 200 MB per day to 25 GB per month. While that is not ideal for those that want to stream content, it should give you access to the internet in the most remote places. While using it, however, we suggest you connect to a VPN.
Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9.8 | 160 | ||
2 | 9.4 | 87 | ||
3 | 9.2 | 95 | ||
4 | 9.0 | 110 | ||
5 | 8.8 | 73 |
As companies launch more and more internet satellites, the prices and limitations on bandwidth will improve. That is especially true with the invention of satellite internet constellations like Starlink. Instead of several massive satellites, constellations consist of thousands of small, mass-produced satellites that will work in combination with ground receivers. The goal of this SpaceX program is to offer satellite broadband, no matter where in the world you are. If you plan on visiting or already live in a place that offers satellite internet, you are vulnerable to cyberattack. However, the way to protect yourself is connect to a VPN. Since the connection is encrypted it is much harder for anyone to intercept your satellite internet traffic.
Another reason to connect to a VPN when using satellite internet has to do with geo-restrictions. Because the satellites are in a geo-stationary orbit (they spin at the same speed and direction as the earth), the satellites assign IP addresses based on the region. That means the government could potentially censor what you see. While you may not have enough bandwidth to stream content, connecting to a VPN in a different location is a good idea. That will help you get around any censorship issues or geo-restrictions.
The third reason to connect to a VPN with satellite internet has to do with ISP throttling. Because there is a limited amount of bandwidth, some ISPs may intentionally de-prioritize(slow down) some of your browsing activities. If they are monitoring what you are doing, you may find the internet extremely slow at times. One of the best ways to test that is to use a mobile app like Wehe. Keep in mind, though that this test can eat up your metered internet, so we advise using it sparingly. By connecting to a VPN, the ISP won’t know if your traffic is important or not important. Because of that, you should not have to worry about the ISP limiting your speed.
What is the Best VPN for Satellite Internet?
There are several factors to take a look at when trying to answer this question. Whereas getting around censorship laws and geo-restrictions are important, the most important factors have to do with privacy. That’s why we’ll take a look at them, first. Here are the criteria to look for.
- Providers that offer strong, military-grade encryption to help protect your privacy
- Strict no-logs policy
- Providers with large and stable networks to avoid dropped connections
- Ability to get around government censorship and geo-restriction issues
Now, we’ll take a closer look at our options.
1. Best VPN for Satellite Internet: ExpressVPN
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If you play games online, you may have heard about Distributive Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Those are attacks that can put a stop to your gaming experience in a hurry. However, the way around that is to connect to a VPN server. By doing so, you can get around those types of attacks because it changes your IP address. Whether you play competitively or casually, you have better things to concentrate on than not being able to compete in your favorite game.
Since ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, they have also included several privacy features to help protect you. That includes re-routing you to a more secure version of the website you entered, location spoofing so that your browser will match the IP address of the area you select, and WebRTC blocking. If you connect to a VPN without this feature, websites can still see where you are. Of course, you could always get another extension to resolve the issue, but having it inclusive is better.
The ExpressVPN team goes the extra mile to provide a feature rich service. They are also strong privacy advocates. They offer a $5,000 Future of Privacy scholarship every year to help promote privacy among college students. Just a quick example of their dedication to spreading the message of privacy around the world. Just as important, they offer a premium network to allow for fast connections. This makes the service an excellent choice for downloading and streaming. Test their network for yourself with their 30-day money-back guarantee. Sign up for 12 months and get 3 months free with our ExpressVPN deal.
2. Best VPN for Satellite Internet: NordVPN
If you are a fan of a top-level sports team and happen to be in the city where they play, you already know that the broadcasters will stop you from seeing them online. That is usually because of licensing rights and they call them blackouts. Of course, you can watch them on TV, but some do not have TVs anymore. The solution to the problem is to connect to a VPN by using NordVPN. In this case, you simply need to select a server that is not in the market area. Then, you can watch your favorite team play.
Whether you play games that are based online or are looking for the newest version of your favorite, the developers often release them at different times in different regions. If you want to get early access, however, NordVPN has you covered. By connecting to a server in the right region, you will make the source think you are local to the area. Depending on where the game developers are, some of the most popular companies come from counties like Korea, Japan, the US, or others.
3. Best VPN for Satellite Internet: Private Internet Access
As more and more TV users cut the cord, many of them still want the ability to watch their favorite sports team in action. With a VPN from Private Internet Access, you don’t have to miss out. Unfortunately, licensing rights to the team will consider you to be “in-market” if you try to watch online. That means you would typically miss out unless you chose a VPN server located outside the region. Simply connect to a VPN in a different area, and you will be able to enjoy it.
If you are looking to protect your entire family with a VPN, you can’t go wrong with Private Internet Access. Unlike some of its competitors, it offers its users the ability to connect on an unlimited number of devices. That is excellent news for families that want to protect everything. If that sounds like a high number, just remember that the figure takes into account all of the mobile devices, laptops, and possibly routers no matter where they are. As you can see, Private Internet Access has you covered.
4. Best VPN for Satellite Internet: CyberGhost
As the world moves more towards mobile phones and computing, some mobile carriers allow their users to watch sports on their favorite devices without it counting against their data usage. If you plan on taking an overseas trip, however, connecting to a VPN server from CyberGhost is a good idea. Unfortunately, media companies often limit sports viewing to specific areas. By making a connection to your home region, the blocking software will think you are there. Then, you should be able to enjoy everything as usual.
If you connect to a VPN server with CyberGhost and you are a gamer, there is something you may not be aware of. On some international platforms, games can have different prices than in your home region. An example of that is using a platform like Steam. You can sometimes find your favorite games for a lower price in other countries than you would in your home country. If you use Steam cards as well, you will be able to play your favorites for a lesser amount than usual.
5. Best VPN for Satellite Internet: IPVanish
No matter where you are in the world, sports leagues like the English Premier League are well known. If you are a fan of any of the teams in the league like Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or others, you know that trying to watch them outside the UK can be difficult. The way to be able to view your favorite team is to connect to a VPN server located in the UK from IPVanish. After you connect, log on to your viewing app with your credentials, and you will be all set.
If you stream a lot of content, you may encounter what is known as library fatigue. That is when you have seen virtually all that you want to on a particular service. Since international services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have different libraries based on location, you will want to connect to a VPN server from IPVanish. That way, if you are bored with the current content available, you only have to change the VPN server region to be able to access others. Then, watch all you want.