---
title: HughesNet vs High Desert Internet: Satellite or Tower
url: https://hdiss.net/compare/hughesnet/
business: High Desert Internet Services (HDISS)
phone: 775-575-9593, 775-391-5660
email: info@hdiss.net
mailing_address: Home base: 200 S Virginia St, Suite 760, Reno NV 89501 (dispatch office, not a walk-in store). Mail: Billing Dept., PO Box 11353, Reno NV 89510
hours: Office open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week. Network watched around the clock.
type: Fixed wireless internet service provider (homes and small businesses), web hosting, customer email, domain registration
service_area: Northern Nevada - Washoe, Lyon, Storey, Churchill and Douglas counties and Carson City; availability is checked address by address (line of sight to a tower)
plans: Bronze $50/mo up to 500 Mbps down, up to 200 Mbps up; Silver $75/mo up to 800 down, up to 200 up; Gold $99/mo up to 1 Gig down, up to 200 up; ask about the up to 1 Gig / 1 Gig ultra-low-latency service
no_online_purchase: true (check your address or call; existing customers pay at https://www2.fernley.net/hdiss/onlinepay/paymentform.cfm)
since: 2002
---

- [Home](https://hdiss.net/)
- [Comparisons](https://hdiss.net/compare/)
- High Desert vs HughesNet

# HughesNet vs High Desert Internet: a dish in orbit or a tower down the road

HughesNet sends internet through geostationary satellites about 22,000 miles up, with plans starting at $39.99 a month for 12 months and speeds of up to 100 Mbps. High Desert sends it from a local tower to an antenna on the house, at $50, $75 and $99 a month.

A rooftop satellite dish. Stock photo: Adobe Stock, not High Desert equipment. [Photo credits](https://hdiss.net/photo-credits/)

## The short answer

HughesNet can reach nearly any home with a view of the sky, and its starting price is the lowest in this comparison set. If a High Desert tower can see your roof, the shorter signal path changes how video calls and games feel, and the address check tells you whether that is possible.

| Item | High Desert | HughesNet |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Fixed wireless: radio from a tower to an antenna on the home; the address check looks at the path | Geostationary satellite; Fusion plans add a wireless connection, "currently available in select areas of the country" (hughesnet.com) |
| Monthly price | Bronze $50, Silver $75, Gold $99 a month (hdiss.net plan cards, read 2026-10-15) | "Plans starting at $39.99/mo. for 12 months"; "Offer and plan availability may vary by geographic area" (hughesnet.com, read 2026-10-15) |
| Download speed | Up to 500 Mbps, up to 800 Mbps and up to 1 Gig down; up to 200 Mbps up on all three | "Download speeds up to 100 Mbps"; speeds "may vary" and carry no promise (its words) |
| Upload speed | Up to 200 Mbps on every plan | Not published on the pages read |
| Data | Each plan has a data transfer limit, size given by email to info@hdiss.net; $1 per GB over (service agreement V 1.12) | Priority Data amount set by plan; unlimited Standard Data after it, which "may be slower than other traffic during high-traffic periods" (its words); Priority Data amounts not on the static pages |
| Contract | No contracts (High Desert's published claim); two weeks' notice and equipment returned to cancel (service agreement V 1.12) | Term and early-termination terms appear in the order flow, not on the static pages read |
| Fees and equipment | Antenna, radio, power supply and injector stay High Desert's; it repairs or replaces failed supplied equipment (service agreement) | $5 a month savings with ACH autopay; $50 pole-mount fee if requested or needed; free standard professional installation for new Lease subscribers only |
| Installation | A technician confirms the path to a tower and installs; payment on install day is a labor charge plus a prorated month (service agreement); amounts not published | Professional installation, typically 2 to 3 hours, usually within five days (its FAQ) |
| Latency wording | High Desert's FAQ gives its own line, quoted on the latency page | "Satellite plans are not recommended for time-sensitive applications due to a small degree of latency"; Fusion described as low-latency, no figure |
| Support | Local support; phones 775-575-9593 and 775-391-5660, 9 AM to 5 PM every day | "24/7 live customer support" for residential; order at 844-737-2700 or through a local dealer |

High Desert facts are High Desert Internet Services' own published plan cards (hdiss.net). HughesNet facts are from its own website as read on 2026-10-15, [hughesnet.com/home-satellite-internet-plans](https://www.hughesnet.com/home-satellite-internet-plans). Every speed on both sides is up to. Nothing here is a promise of availability at any address.

### High Desert suits you when

- No clear sky is needed because a tower can see your roof, and you want lower delay for video calls and games.
- You would rather read plan prices on a plan card than learn them after entering an address.
- You want a local office, in the same time zone, that picks up the phone from 9 to 5 every day.
- You need the upload side: up to 200 Mbps on each plan.

### HughesNet suits you when

- No tower, cable or fiber reaches you and a dish with a view of the southern sky is practical.
- You want a professionally installed dish with a Priority Data allowance and slower Standard Data after it.
- You are looking for a promotional price of $39.99 a month for the first 12 months, as HughesNet words it (read 10/15/26).
- You want 24/7 live support, which HughesNet states for residential customers.

HughesNet is the long-time name in rural satellite internet, and its Fusion plan adds a wireless piece to the satellite. This page lays out what HughesNet publishes on static pages as of October 15, 2026, because its exact prices appear only after an address is entered.

## What does HughesNet publish, and what does it leave for the order page?

HughesNet's plan page, read October 15, 2026, says plans start at $39.99 a month for 12 months and carry speeds of up to 100 Mbps. It adds that offers and plan availability may vary by area. The detailed plan list, Priority Data amounts, equipment prices and term length appear after an address is entered, so this page prints none of them. We did not enter an address on HughesNet's site.

That is a normal way to sell satellite service, and it means the comparison on price is a starting point. Ask for the monthly total after the first 12 months, any equipment charge and the term before you decide.

## How do HughesNet's data rules work next to High Desert's?

HughesNet describes Priority Data as the set amount of data that comes with each plan. If you use all of it, an unlimited amount of Standard Data kicks in, and HughesNet says Standard Data may be slower than other traffic during high-traffic periods.

High Desert's service agreement works differently: each plan carries a data transfer limit, the size is sent by email on request, and usage over it is billed at $1 per gigabyte. Neither arrangement is wrong. Both mean that a family streaming in several rooms should ask for the figure before choosing a plan. See [data and fair use](https://hdiss.net/faq/data-and-fair-use/) for the High Desert side.

## What is the delay on a satellite link, and what does HughesNet say?

A geostationary satellite sits about 36,000 kilometers, roughly 22,000 miles, above the equator (NASA Earth Observatory). A signal goes up and back down on the way out and again on the way back. The FCC's 2018 Measuring Broadband America report measured median latencies of 594 to 612 ms for satellite broadband, against 12 to 37 ms for terrestrial services, and said the higher delay of geostationary service may impair highly interactive applications. That figure covers the geostationary category, not HughesNet alone.

HughesNet's own FAQ says satellite plans are not recommended for time-sensitive applications because of a small degree of latency, and describes Fusion as low-latency without giving a figure. Read the full explainer at [geostationary vs low-earth-orbit vs a tower hop](https://hdiss.net/compare/geo-vs-leo-vs-tower-latency/).

## What do installation and fees look like?

HughesNet says free standard professional installation applies to new Lease subscribers only, not to the Purchase option. HughesNet lists a $50 pole-mount fee when requested or needed. Installation typically takes two to three hours and, HughesNet says, usually happens within five days. It also offers a $5 monthly savings with ACH autopay enrolled before the second billing cycle.

With High Desert, a technician confirms the path to a tower and mounts the antenna. The agreement sets payment on install day at a labor charge plus a prorated month, and neither amount is published, so call 775-575-9593. The page on [installation](https://hdiss.net/installation/) describes the visit.

## When does satellite make sense, and how do I switch?

Where no wire and no tower reaches, satellite is the service that does, which is exactly why HughesNet has a loyal rural base. Many Northern Nevada homes, though, sit closer to a tower than they realize. The Census Bureau's ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (table B28002) show about 22 percent of Silver Springs households reporting a satellite subscription, one of the higher shares in our area. See [satellite reliance by place](https://hdiss.net/data/satellite-reliance/).

If you want to find out, send the address. If a tower sees your roof, [switching from satellite](https://hdiss.net/guides/switching-from-satellite-step-by-step/) explains what happens to the dish and the contract.

## What does the FCC's December 2025 data show for HughesNet in the six counties?

In the FCC Broadband Data Collection data as of December 31, 2025 (National Broadband Map files read October 16, 2026), HughesNet filed geostationary satellite in High Desert's six counties: Washoe County 161,538 locations (up to 50 Mbps down at the top tier); Lyon County 25,827 locations (up to 50 Mbps down at the top tier); Storey County 2,278 locations (up to 50 Mbps down at the top tier); Churchill County 10,465 locations (up to 100 Mbps down at the top tier); Douglas County 23,497 locations (up to 50 Mbps down at the top tier); Carson City 20,353 locations (up to 50 Mbps down at the top tier). Those counts add a building once per technology.

A listed HughesNet location is the company's claim that it could connect that building within ten business days, not a subscriber, and the FCC takes challenges where a filing is wrong. The 2021 Form 477 figures on this site counted census blocks, a different unit, so no HughesNet count from 2021 can be subtracted from these. High Desert does not appear by name in the files that list HughesNet, and its own answer for an address comes from a person checking the path to a tower.

### Sources

- [hughesnet.com/home-satellite-internet-plans](https://www.hughesnet.com/home-satellite-internet-plans) (HughesNet plans, read 2026-10-15)
- [hughesnet.com/faq](https://www.hughesnet.com/faq) (data, latency, install, read 2026-10-15)
- [hughesnet.com/plans](https://www.hughesnet.com/plans) (Fusion and support wording, read 2026-10-15)
- [science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/catalog-of-earth-satellite-orbits](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/catalog-of-earth-satellite-orbits) (geostationary orbit, read 2026-10-15)
- [fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/measuring-broadband-america/measuring-fixed-broadband-eig](https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/measuring-broadband-america/measuring-fixed-broadband-eighth-report) (FCC, 594 to 612 ms)
- [api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5](https://api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5) (ACS 2020-2024 5-year, B28002, Silver Springs CDP)
- [hdiss.net/services/](https://hdiss.net/internet-plans/) (High Desert plan cards, read 2026-10-15)
- [broadbandmap.fcc.gov/data-download/nationwide-data](https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/data-download/nationwide-data) (FCC Broadband Data Collection, fixed broadband availability as of December 31, 2025, Nevada files dated October 13, 2026, read 2026-10-16)

### Talk to a person

- Call [775-575-9593](tel:7755759593) [775-391-5660](tel:7753915660) Open 9-5 every day
- Email [info@hdiss.net](mailto:info@hdiss.net)

[Check my address](https://hdiss.net/check-availability/#check)

### Related

- [Geostationary vs low-earth-orbit satellite vs a tower hop](https://hdiss.net/compare/geo-vs-leo-vs-tower-latency/)
- [Fixed wireless vs satellite internet](https://hdiss.net/compare/fixed-wireless-vs-satellite/)
- [High Desert vs Viasat](https://hdiss.net/compare/viasat/)
- [Satellite reliance in rural Northern Nevada, by town and ZIP](https://hdiss.net/data/satellite-reliance/)
- [Switching from satellite internet](https://hdiss.net/internet-for/satellite-switchers/)

Local since 2002

Fixed wireless from towers in Northern Nevada. Three plans, no contracts, local support, 4.8 on Google from 36 reviews.

[About High Desert](https://hdiss.net/about/)

## County by county

[Washoe County](https://hdiss.net/compare/hughesnet/washoe-county/) [Lyon County](https://hdiss.net/compare/hughesnet/lyon-county/) [Storey County](https://hdiss.net/compare/hughesnet/storey-county/) [Churchill County](https://hdiss.net/compare/hughesnet/churchill-county/) [Carson City](https://hdiss.net/compare/hughesnet/carson-city/) [Douglas County](https://hdiss.net/compare/hughesnet/douglas-county/)

The dated record for each county: the June 2021 FCC filing and what the provider publishes. Availability is checked address by address.

## High Desert's three plans

[Bronze Package](https://hdiss.net/internet-plans/bronze/)

$50 a month

Up to 500 Mbps down Up to 200 Mbps up

Runs a household: a 4K TV, a video call and a game at the same time, with room left over.

[Check my address](https://hdiss.net/check-availability/?plan=bronze#check)

[Silver Package](https://hdiss.net/internet-plans/silver/)

$75 a month

Up to 800 Mbps down Up to 200 Mbps up

More headroom: a full house online at once, several 4K TVs, work from home and big downloads.

[Check my address](https://hdiss.net/check-availability/?plan=silver#check)

[Gold Package](https://hdiss.net/internet-plans/gold/)

$99 a month

Up to 1 Gig down Up to 200 Mbps up

The most headroom we sell: large households, a home office, cameras, backups and everything else at once.

[Check my address](https://hdiss.net/check-availability/?plan=gold#check)

Every speed is an up-to figure. What you see depends on the path from the tower to your roof, how many people are online and your Wi-Fi router. Each plan has a data transfer limit; ask us for yours at [info@hdiss.net](mailto:info@hdiss.net).

Ask about 1 Gig / 1 Gig.

Our ultra-low-latency service with upload as fast as download, in some areas. Check your address and tick "Ask about 1 Gig / 1 Gig" and we will tell you if your address can get it. [About the 1 Gig / 1 Gig service](https://hdiss.net/internet-plans/gig-symmetrical/).

Prices and speeds as published by High Desert Internet Services (hdiss.net, read 10/15/26). "Runs" lines use the FCC Household Broadband Guide and Broadband Speed Guide (fcc.gov), which the FCC calls rough guidelines; every High Desert plan is above the FCC's highest household band of more than 25 Mbps. Not sure which plan? [Use the plan picker](https://hdiss.net/#picker).

## Questions people ask

### How much is HughesNet?

HughesNet says plans start at $39.99 a month for 12 months (read 10/15/26), with exact plans shown after an address is entered. Ask for the price after the first year.

### Is HughesNet faster than High Desert?

HughesNet says up to 100 Mbps; High Desert's plans say up to 500 Mbps, up to 800 Mbps and up to 1 Gig. Real speeds on either vary, so test after install.

### Can I keep HughesNet if I try High Desert?

The term and early-termination terms are in HughesNet's order flow. Read your own agreement first.