Viasat
Viasat is a satellite internet provider offering broadband connectivity primarily to rural and underserved areas in the U.S. and globally. Following its $7.3 billion acquisition of Inmarsat in 2023, Viasat operates geostationary and planned multi-orbit satellite fleets serving residential, business, aviation, maritime, and government customers.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated. Last assessed 2026-10-01. Score revised 2026-10-01: 52 → 42.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
Three Linkabit veterans found ViaSat to build satellite communications equipment for the U.S. military. The company is a small, engineering-led defense contractor with no consumer customers, no broadband service and no meaningful market power.
ViaSat lists on NASDAQ in December 1996 and grows by buying Scientific-Atlanta's satellite networking business (2000) and Comsat Laboratories (2001). It remains a defense and commercial hardware maker with no consumer broadband service; public-company status adds shareholder expectations but no documented extraction or regulatory conflict.
The $568 million WildBlue acquisition makes Viasat a consumer ISP, and ViaSat-1 (2011) powers the Exede service launched in January 2012 at $50/month for up to 12 Mbps. The FCC's 2013 report found Exede delivering 140% or more of advertised speed, but by 2016 most of its spot beams were full and customers on 10-30 GB plans described throttled, 'fraudband' service. Two-year contracts and rural captivity build lock-in.
With ViaSat-2 in service, Viasat launches 'unlimited' plans with deprioritization thresholds and steep post-promotion prices (Platinum 100 at $150 rising to $200). An antenna anomaly cut ViaSat-2's capacity by about 15% and left some areas short of bandwidth, and FCC data showed Viasat's consistent peak-hour speed at 24% of advertised. Contracts, equipment-return rules and the absence of a LEO rival keep rural customers captive.
Viasat wins nothing in the FCC's RDOF auction while Starlink wins $885.5 million, and Viasat turns to regulators, petitioning for an environmental review of Starlink and losing in the D.C. Circuit. It announces the $7.3 billion Inmarsat deal, sells its Link 16 business to deleverage, and Dankberg reverses his succession to retake the CEO role. Residential subscribers drain to Starlink while contracts and the $300 equipment-return rule remain.
Closing the Inmarsat acquisition loads Viasat with debt, and weeks later the ViaSat-3 F1 antenna failure leaves the satellite with under 10% of planned capacity. About 1,100 jobs are cut in 2023, residential subscribers fall from about 257,000 in mid-2024 to 115,000 by June 2026, and Consumer Reports gives Viasat its lowest ratings. The contract-free Unleashed plan (2024) eased lock-in. Since mid-2025 activist pressure and a board strategic review have centered on a possible break-up, and ViaSat-3 F2's September 2026 entry into service may bring the first new U.S. capacity in years.
Alternatives
SpaceX's low-Earth orbit satellite internet delivers far faster speeds (roughly 5-220 Mbps) and much lower latency than Viasat's 600+ ms geostationary service, whose U.S. median download speed Ookla measured at about 42 Mbps. The residential plan is about $120/month plus equipment. Easy switch for most rural customers — just set up the dish and cancel Viasat.
Fixed wireless alternative with no annual contracts and no data caps, and much lower latency than satellite. The catch: availability depends on T-Mobile 5G/LTE coverage at your address, which excludes many of the most rural areas where Viasat operates. Check coverage before switching.
The other major geostationary satellite ISP, starting at $39.99/month for its 25 Mbps plan — cheaper than Viasat. Similar latency limitations, but the JUPITER 3 satellite supports plans up to 100 Mbps. Requires a one- or two-year contract. A lateral move in terms of technology, but may suit budget-conscious rural users who need basic connectivity.
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (62 events)
Viasat Founded as Defense Satellite Startup
Mark Dankberg, Mark Miller, and Steve Hart, who had worked together at Linkabit, co-found ViaSat Inc. in spring 1986, with Dankberg's spare bedroom as the first office. After winning two defense contracts in its first year, the company raises $300,000 in venture capital and develops its first product: a signal-to-noise ratio device for the U.S. Army.
Viasat IPO Raises $20 Million on NASDAQ
ViaSat completes its initial public offering on NASDAQ on December 3, 1996, selling 2.4 million shares at $9 per share and raising roughly $20 million. After the IPO the three founders own 28% of the company while venture capital backers hold 20%. The IPO funds expansion beyond government defense contracts into commercial satellite markets.
Viasat Acquires Scientific-Atlanta Satellite Networking for $64M
ViaSat completes acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta's satellite networking business for $64.4 million, gaining broadband satellite network gateways, data transactions, and telephony products. The deal expands Viasat's commercial market presence and establishes it as a key supplier of ground infrastructure equipment for satellite broadband networks.
Viasat Acquires Comsat Laboratories from Lockheed Martin
Viasat acquires Comsat Laboratories from Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition brings advanced satellite networking research capabilities, a broad intellectual property portfolio, and the LINKWAY and LinkStar product families, strengthening Viasat's technology development for bandwidth-efficient satellite transmission.
Viasat Acquires WildBlue for $568M, Enters Consumer Broadband
ViaSat completes acquisition of WildBlue Communications for $568 million in cash and stock, gaining the WildBlue-1 satellite, Ka-band capacity on Telesat's Anik F2 satellite, and a consumer retail broadband operation. The deal transforms Viasat from a defense/commercial hardware maker into a direct-to-consumer satellite ISP serving rural America.
ViaSat-1 Launches as World's Highest-Capacity Satellite
ViaSat-1 launches aboard an ILS Proton rocket from Baikonur with more than 140 Gbps of total capacity, more than all existing satellites covering North America combined. The satellite earns a Guinness World Record and represents a roughly $400 million investment. It enables Viasat's Exede service to offer 12 Mbps consumer broadband at $50/month, a significant improvement over earlier satellite internet speeds.
Exede Broadband Service Launches at $50/Month
ViaSat launches its Exede high-speed internet service powered by ViaSat-1, offering up to 12 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream at $50/month. The service targets rural and underserved areas where terrestrial broadband is unavailable. Plans include data caps under a Fair Access Policy, with heavy users throttled after exceeding monthly allowances.
Viasat Sues Space Systems/Loral for Patent Infringement
ViaSat files a patent infringement and breach of contract lawsuit against Space Systems/Loral and Loral Space & Communications. Viasat alleges SSL disclosed proprietary ViaSat-1 technology to competitor Hughes Network Systems, which was used to design the competing Jupiter-1 satellite. The case becomes a landmark IP dispute in the satellite industry.
Viasat Partners with DIRECTV for Bundled Satellite Service
DirecTV and ViaSat launch bundled Exede satellite broadband and DirecTV video packages, saving consumers $10/month for the first year and waiving the $50 setup fee for customers who sign a two-year TV contract. For the first time the bundle can be bought from either DirecTV or ViaSat. The co-marketing relationship later figures in a 2018 TCPA class action over unsolicited marketing texts.
FCC Report Ranks Exede Best at Delivering Advertised Speeds
The FCC's 2013 Measuring Broadband America report finds that during peak periods 90% of ViaSat Exede customers received 140% or better of the advertised 12 Mbps download speed, with little difference between peak and off-peak performance. Exede, the only satellite service in the study, also averaged 161% of advertised upload speeds, a high point for Viasat's residential service quality.
JetBlue Launches Free In-Flight WiFi Powered by Viasat
JetBlue launches Fly-Fi, becoming the first airline to use high-speed Ka-band satellite connectivity, powered by ViaSat's satellite network. The service debuts on three Airbus A320s with a free basic browsing tier during the beta period. JetBlue later expands Fly-Fi fleet-wide and by 2017 offers free high-speed Wi-Fi at every seat, establishing Viasat as a major player in aviation connectivity.
Jury Awards Viasat $283 Million in SSL Patent Case
A federal jury awards ViaSat $283 million in damages after finding Space Systems/Loral infringed three Viasat patents related to ViaSat-1 technology and breached non-disclosure agreements. SSL had shared Viasat's proprietary satellite designs with competitor Hughes Network Systems for the Jupiter-1 satellite. The verdict is one of the largest in satellite industry IP litigation.
Viasat Settles SSL Patent Case for $100 Million
ViaSat settles its patent infringement and breach of contract lawsuits against Space Systems/Loral and Loral Space & Communications for $100 million: $40 million up front and $60 million in quarterly installments over 2.5 years at 11.8% interest. The settlement comes after the judge upheld the jury's infringement and breach findings but ordered a new trial on the $283 million damages award, and it also ends a second suit over Hughes' Jupiter-2. Viasat called it the largest settlement ever in a commercial satellite IP matter.
Viasat-Eutelsat Joint Venture for European Broadband
Eutelsat Communications and ViaSat announce a joint venture combining Eutelsat's European broadband business, including the KA-SAT satellite, with Viasat's broadband technology and consumer ISP expertise. ViaSat acquires a 49% interest in the wholesale business that owns KA-SAT for EUR 132.5 million, while it owns 51% of a new retail ISP business. The deal gives Viasat its first direct European satellite broadband presence.
Consumer Advocates Label Satellite Broadband 'Fraudband'
Stop the Cap! publishes reader accounts of Exede, the ViaSat-powered satellite service, under the headline 'Why Satellite Fraudband Still Sucks: Low Caps, Throttled Speeds, Almost-Useless Service.' The post describes plans with 10-30 GB monthly allowances, full spot beams covering about two-thirds of ViaSat's residential coverage, and customers calling satellite speed marketing claims 'fraudulent.'
ViaSat-2 Launches with 300 Gbps Capacity
ViaSat-2 launches aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana with about 300 Gbps of total network capacity, roughly double ViaSat-1. The satellite is built to serve homes and businesses across the Americas and to link air travelers over the North Atlantic, with coverage extending into the Caribbean and South America. Viasat says it will enable faster speeds of 50 Mbps or more and larger data allowances for residential customers.
Viasat Retires Exede and WildBlue Brands
Viasat announces it will sunset its sub-brands, including Exede (consumer broadband), WildBlue and Yonder (Ku-band aviation), along with GoFiFi and Arconics, consolidating under a single Viasat brand and new logo over about six months. VP of marketing Steven Mesnick says the company was 'diluting our own brand by having too many sub-brands.'
Viasat Launches 'Unlimited' Data Plans with ViaSat-2
Weeks after ViaSat-2 enters service, Viasat launches new residential 'unlimited' plans that remove hard monthly data caps, ranging from Unlimited Bronze 12 (starting at $50/month, $70 after three months) to Unlimited Platinum 100 ($150/month, $200 after three months). The fine print says that after 40 GB to 150 GB of usage, depending on tier, Viasat 'may prioritize your data behind other customers during network congestion.'
ViaSat-2 Antenna Anomaly Cuts Capacity, Causes Bandwidth Shortages
Viasat prepares a large insurance claim after an antenna malfunction on ViaSat-2, revealed in January, cut the satellite's performance by about 15%; its estimated capacity was revised from 300 Gbps to 260 Gbps. CEO Mark Dankberg says some areas are already short of bandwidth. Viasat also reports shedding 83,000 consumer broadband subscribers over the fiscal year, to 576,000, with pricier plans offsetting the loss.
DIRECTV and Viasat Face TCPA Class Action for Marketing Texts
A proposed class action is filed against DIRECTV and Viasat (doing business as Exede Internet) alleging the companies sent unlawful automated marketing texts as part of a joint marketing effort. The plaintiff says a February 9, 2018 text advertising DIRECTV to Exede customers violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which provides $500 in damages per violation, up to three times that if willful.
FCC Report Shows Viasat Delivers 24% Consistent Speed
The FCC's Eighth Measuring Broadband America report, based on September 2017 data, finds Viasat's 80/80 consistent download speed was only 24% of advertised speed. Viasat's ratio of median to advertised download speed fell from 131% off-peak to 90% in peak hours. Earlier FCC reports had ranked Exede first, at roughly 140% of advertised speed in 2013, before subscriber growth on the capacity-constrained ViaSat-1 satellite degraded performance.
Viasat Protests FCC Latency Rules Excluding Satellite from Broadband Subsidies
Viasat and SES object to the scoring criteria in the FCC's proposed $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, arguing that heavy weighting against high-latency service puts geostationary satellite providers at a disadvantage. Viasat's GEO satellites inherently have 600+ ms latency, well above the 100 ms low-latency threshold. The weighting highlights the structural disadvantage of GEO satellite technology.
Viasat Announces Leadership Transition, Dankberg Becomes Executive Chairman
Viasat announces that founder Mark Dankberg moves from Chairman and CEO to Executive Chairman, with President and COO Rick Baldridge becoming President and CEO, effective November 3, 2020. The company calls it an initial step in a long-term succession plan. Less than two years later, in July 2022, Dankberg resumes the CEO role and Baldridge becomes Vice Chairman focused on closing the Inmarsat acquisition.
Viasat Buys Out Eutelsat's European Broadband Stake for $166M
Viasat agrees to buy Eutelsat's 51% stake in Euro Broadband Infrastructure, which owns the KA-SAT satellite, and the rest of the European joint venture for about EUR 140 million ($166 million), gaining full ownership of KA-SAT and its European ground infrastructure. The buyout ends the 2016 joint venture after the partners' strategies diverged, with Eutelsat focusing on its own Konnect satellites.
Viasat Fails to Win RDOF Rural Broadband Auction Awards
The FCC's RDOF Phase I auction awards $9.2 billion to 180 winning bidders, but Viasat, which qualified to bid, wins nothing. Fellow GEO operator Hughes wins just $1.3 million, while SpaceX's Starlink wins $885.5 million; one of the auction's weighting factors favored lower-latency service.
Viasat Acquires RigNet for $222M in All-Stock Deal
Viasat announces definitive agreement to acquire RigNet, an oil and gas networking company, for approximately $222 million in an all-stock transaction. The deal gives Viasat access to the energy sector's remote communications market and RigNet's Intelie machine learning platform. The acquisition closes in April 2021.
Viasat Petitions FCC for Environmental Review of Starlink
In a December 22 filing, Viasat asks the FCC to conduct an environmental review of SpaceX's Starlink constellation under NEPA before approving SpaceX's request to lower the orbits of nearly 3,000 satellites, arguing the launches and re-entries could release chemicals contributing to ozone depletion, raise collision and debris risks, and add light pollution. Critics, including Elon Musk, view the petition as a competitive tactic to slow Starlink. The FCC approves the modification and the D.C. Circuit later rejects Viasat's challenge.
Viasat Announces $7.3 Billion Inmarsat Acquisition
Viasat announces its intention to acquire Inmarsat for $7.3 billion, comprising $850 million in cash, approximately $3.1 billion in Viasat equity, and the assumption of $3.4 billion in net debt. The deal would combine 19 satellites across Ka, L, and S-band spectrum. The acquisition faces 18 months of multi-jurisdictional regulatory review before closing.
Viasat Requires Departing Customers to Dismount Rooftop TRIA or Pay $300
Viasat's 2022 equipment-return instructions tell departing customers to return the TRIA, modem, power supply and cord within 30 days of service end to avoid a $300 charge. Customers must remove the TRIA transceiver from the outdoor dish themselves with a wrench and screwdriver, pack it in the supplied box and drop it at FedEx, or pay for a pickup.
Russian Cyberattack Disables Viasat KA-SAT Network in Ukraine
About an hour before Russia invades Ukraine, a cyberattack using AcidRain wiper malware disables thousands of Viasat KA-SAT satellite modems across Ukraine and Europe. The attack causes a significant loss of communications for the Ukrainian military, which relied on the network for command and control, and spills over to thousands of internet users and about 5,800 German wind turbines. The U.S., EU and UK later attribute the attack to Russia.
Viasat Launches 'Choice' Plans with Speeds up to 150 Mbps
Viasat introduces five New Choice home internet plans in select U.S. markets with download speeds up to 25 Mbps and up to 150 Mbps in select areas, starting at $49.99/month, saying network optimization will deliver more data at faster speeds more consistently.
Dankberg Resumes CEO Role, Reversing Succession Plan
Mark Dankberg resumes the roles of Chairman and CEO, while Rick Baldridge moves to a newly created Vice Chairman position focused on closing the Inmarsat acquisition. The reversal of the November 2020 succession plan comes less than two years after the transition, raising questions about governance stability. Dankberg has now controlled Viasat since its 1986 founding.
DC Circuit Rejects Viasat's Challenge to SpaceX Starlink License
The D.C. Circuit declines to disturb the FCC's approval of SpaceX's lower-altitude Starlink license modification. It rejects Dish's interference claim on the merits and refuses to consider Viasat's NEPA claim, holding that Viasat's asserted injuries are economic and fall outside NEPA's zone of interests (and that an allied environmental group lacked standing). The ruling ends Viasat's court challenge to the modification.
Viasat Agrees to Sell Link 16 Business to L3Harris for $1.96 Billion
L3Harris agrees to buy Viasat's tactical data link (Link 16) business for $1.96 billion. Viasat sells the defense unit to raise cash ahead of the Inmarsat acquisition and reduce leverage; the sale closed in January 2023.
UK CMA Opens In-Depth Probe of Viasat-Inmarsat Merger
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority refers Viasat's proposed acquisition of Inmarsat for a Phase 2 investigation, concerned that combining two key in-flight connectivity suppliers could lead to higher prices and lower quality for airlines and passengers. The European Commission also runs an in-depth Phase II review of the deal.
Viasat PAC Established for Political Contributions
Viasat registers a corporate Political Action Committee (Viasat PAC, ID: C00836437) with the FEC, marking the company's entry into direct political fundraising. The PAC raises $25,900 in the 2023-2024 election cycle, modest by ISP industry standards but indicating growing political engagement as regulatory scrutiny increases around satellite spectrum and competition policy.
Viasat Cuts 300 Jobs in First Round of Layoffs
Viasat eliminates approximately 300 positions, about 4% of its global workforce, including 72 at its Carlsbad headquarters and 35 remote workers elsewhere in California. Local cuts span technical positions including software, hardware, and network engineers. The company cites an 'extensive review of staffing needs' and the sale of its Link 16 tactical data links business to L3Harris.
ViaSat-3 F1 Launches on SpaceX Falcon Heavy
ViaSat-3 Americas, the first of three planned terabit-class satellites, launches aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center. The 14,000-pound satellite, designed to deliver 1 Tbps of capacity, represents a $700+ million investment and is intended to be the world's highest-capacity communications satellite. However, critical antenna deployment problems will soon emerge.
FCC Approves Viasat-Inmarsat Merger, Dismisses SpaceX Complaint
The FCC approves Viasat's acquisition of Inmarsat in a May 19 order, finding the deal serves the public interest and will not harm competition in government, aviation, or maritime services. It denies a SpaceX petition to block the deal, which argued Viasat operates in certain spectrum bands in violation of its license; the FCC said it does not use transfer reviews to settle pre-existing license disputes. The UK CMA had already cleared the deal, and the European Commission clears it days later.
Viasat Completes $7.3 Billion Inmarsat Acquisition
Viasat closes the Inmarsat acquisition, paying Inmarsat shareholders about $551 million in cash and roughly 46.36 million Viasat shares, and drawing down $1.35 billion in committed financing including a $617 million secured term loan and a $733 million unsecured bridge loan. The combined company operates 19 satellites across Ka-, L- and S-bands and serves aviation, maritime, government, and residential customers globally, while also taking on Inmarsat's existing debt.
Viasat Discloses ViaSat-3 F1 Antenna Deployment Failure
Viasat discloses that an 'unexpected event' occurred while deploying the large reflector on the ViaSat-3 Americas satellite after its April launch. The reflector sits at the end of a long boom derived from James Webb Space Telescope hardware, and the problem threatens the new North American broadband services the satellite was meant to deliver. Viasat says it is working with the reflector's manufacturer on a fix, and its shares fall more than 20%. In October 2023 it says it will recover less than 10% of planned throughput and will not build a replacement.
ViaSat-3 F1 Could Trigger Record $420M Satellite Insurance Claim
Industry executives estimate that if Viasat declares its roughly $1 billion ViaSat-3 Americas satellite a total loss, the claim would reach a record $420 million, eclipsing the previous largest satellite loss of about EUR 345 million ($373 million) for FalconEye 1 in 2019. Insurers warn the claim will make satellite insurance harder and more expensive for other operators. Viasat says it is too early to decide whether to file.
Viasat Lays Off 800 Employees Post-Inmarsat Integration
Viasat eliminates about 800 positions, approximately 10% of its global workforce, as part of Inmarsat integration. The cuts span geographies and divisions, including about 160 jobs at Carlsbad headquarters. The company projects $100 million in annual cost savings beginning in fiscal year 2025. Combined with the April layoffs, Viasat has cut roughly 1,100 positions in 2023.
Viasat Launches Unleashed Plan Without Contracts
Viasat introduces the Unleashed plan, its month-to-month residential offering with no annual contract. The plan offers unlimited data with speeds up to 150 Mbps in select markets, starting at $99.99/month at launch, with an 850 GB soft cap that triggers deprioritization during congestion. While eliminating lock-in through contracts, the price is comparable to or higher than Starlink's $120/month residential plan for far weaker GEO performance.
Viasat Reports Losing More Than Half Its Residential Subscribers
Viasat discloses that its U.S. fixed broadband subscribers have fallen from 603,000 in September 2020 to 257,000 at the end of Q1 FY2025, a decline of over 57% since Starlink launched consumer service. Despite the subscriber exodus, Viasat's average revenue per user rose from just over $102 in 2020 to $115 on its shrinking, largely captive base.
Hobbled ViaSat-3 F1 Enters Limited Government Service
ViaSat-3 F1, left with significantly reduced capacity by its antenna deployment anomaly, begins serving the U.S. Marine Corps, its first government customer, after first entering service for commercial airlines over North America. The satellite still supports broadband for government and commercial customers but cannot deliver the residential capacity expansion it was built for.
Viasat Awarded $568M GSA Defense Contract
Viasat receives a five-year, sole-source IDIQ contract through the GSA with a $568 million ceiling to support C5ISR capabilities for U.S. defense forces, a follow-on to a 2019 award. The contract covers rapid migration of C5ISR capabilities from Special Operations Forces to General Purpose Forces. The award underscores Viasat's growing reliance on defense work as residential subscribers decline.
Viasat Identified as Salt Typhoon Cyberespionage Victim
Viasat is identified as a victim of the Salt Typhoon cyberespionage campaign attributed to Chinese state hackers, which also breached AT&T, Verizon, Charter and other telecoms. Viasat discovered the breach earlier in 2025 and said attackers gained unauthorized access through a compromised device, adding that its investigation found no evidence of impact to customers.
Activist Carronade Urges Viasat to Spin Off Defense Unit
Carronade Capital, holding about 2.6% of Viasat, publishes a letter urging the board to make a spin-off or IPO of the Defense and Advanced Technologies business the key outcome of its strategic review, arguing the unit alone could be worth about $50 per share and the stock $50 to $100+ after a separation.
Viasat Residential Subscribers Drop to 172,000
Viasat reports that its U.S. fixed broadband business ended Q1 FY2026 (June 2025) with approximately 172,000 subscribers and $115 in average revenue per user, down from 603,000 subscribers in September 2020 and 257,000 in mid-2024. The company has lost about 71% of its residential subscribers since Starlink's public launch while keeping ARPU at $115 on its remaining customers.
Viasat Wins U.S. Space Force PTS-G Contract
Viasat is selected as one of five awardees for the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global program, a large IDIQ contract with a $4 billion ceiling for all awardees. The contract tasks Viasat with designing a dual-band X/Ka-band satellite constellation providing anti-jam capabilities. First launch is projected for 2028, further cementing Viasat's defense pivot as residential broadband declines.
ViaSat-3 F2 Launches Successfully on Atlas V
ViaSat-3 Flight 2 successfully launches aboard a ULA Atlas V 551 from Cape Canaveral, designed to add more than 1 Tbps capacity to Viasat's network over the Americas. The satellite's performance is critical after the ViaSat-3 F1 antenna failure; successful deployment would double Viasat's overall bandwidth capacity. Service entry is anticipated in early 2026.
Viasat Exits Navarino Stake to Monetize Assets
Viasat agrees to exit its equity interest in Greek maritime service provider Navarino, whose founders reinvest with financing from ICG. A Viasat executive calls the sale a step in its initiatives to monetize certain portfolio assets; the 10-K later reports the sale completed in March 2026.
Subscribers Fall to 143,000 as Board Weighs Break-Up
Viasat's Q3 FY2026 shareholder letter reports U.S. fixed broadband ended December 2025 with about 143,000 subscribers and $112 average revenue per user. CEO Mark Dankberg says the board's Strategic Review Committee, with independent financial advisers, is evaluating options up to and including separating the government and commercial businesses.
Consumer Reports Gives Viasat Its Lowest Possible Ratings
Reporting on Consumer Reports' Winter 2025 survey of more than 73,000 members, BGR lists Viasat among the worst home internet providers, noting it earned the lowest possible ratings across categories, with customers reporting slower-than-advertised speeds, unreliable HD streaming, lagging video calls, strict data limits and customer service problems.
Viasat Fights SpaceX Bid to Relax Satellite Power Limits
In the FCC's proceeding on equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits, Viasat opposes SpaceX's push to raise the power levels its LEO satellites may use, calling it 'bad science' and warning that relaxing the limits would cause unacceptable interference to geostationary networks and entrench SpaceX's dominant market position.
Viasat Adds Two Directors Under Activist Cooperation Agreement
Viasat appoints Shekar Ayyar and Jinhy Yoon to its board and Strategic Review Committee and enters a cooperation agreement with Carronade Capital, with standstill, voting and non-disparagement terms. The board grows to 10 directors, 8 of them independent.
FY2026: Residential Base Shrinks to 130,000
Viasat's Q4 FY2026 shareholder letter reports U.S. fixed broadband ended March 2026 with about 130,000 subscribers and $113 average revenue per user, and says aviation growth was offset by declines in fixed residential services and maritime. Fiscal 2026 revenue was about $4.6 billion with a $34 million net loss.
CEO Pay Rises 80% to $14.2 Million in Loss-Making Year
Viasat's 2026 proxy statement reports CEO Mark Dankberg's fiscal 2026 total compensation at $14,208,178, up from $7,882,902 in fiscal 2025, driven by $10.3 million in stock awards, during a year in which Viasat posted a $34 million net loss. The CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio was about 63 to 1.
Residential Subscribers Fall to 115,000
Viasat's Q1 FY2027 shareholder letter reports U.S. fixed broadband ended June 2026 with about 115,000 subscribers and $111 average revenue per user, down from about 172,000 a year earlier. Fixed services and other service revenue fell 27% year over year, and the company cites greater competition in its legacy commercial services.
ViaSat-3 F3 Enters Service over Asia-Pacific
Viasat announces that ViaSat-3 F3, launched in April 2026 and designed for more than 1 Tbps of throughput, has entered commercial service across the Asia-Pacific region.
ViaSat-3 F2 Enters Service over the Americas
Viasat announces that ViaSat-3 F2, designed for more than 1 Tbps of throughput over the Americas, has entered service, completing the ViaSat-3 constellation and, the company says, tripling bandwidth across its fleet. It is the first major addition of U.S. capacity since the ViaSat-3 F1 failure; the announcement gives no specific residential speed or plan changes.
Evidence (50 citations)
D1: User Value Erosion
D2: Business Customer Exploitation
D3: Shareholder Extraction
D4: Lock-in & Switching Costs
D5: Twiddling & Algorithmic Opacity
D6: Dark Patterns
D7: Advertising & Monetization Pressure
D8: Competitive Conduct
D9: Labor & Governance
D10: Regulatory & Legal Posture
Scoring Log (6 entries)
Checked 98 items + prose. 47 verified, 37 corrected (6 date-only), 11 re-sourced, 3 removed. Invented (contradicted): ACSI '64/100' Viasat score (ACSI does not measure Viasat; 'All Others' 70 in 2025 study); 'additional 239-person layoff' / 1,340 total (CA EDD WARN: 239 were the Nov 2023 round, effective 2024-01-02); Salt Typhoon SSN/financial data (BankInfoSecurity: that data was Krispy Kreme's; Viasat reported no customer impact); '51% controlling interest for EUR 132.5M' in 2016 Eutelsat JV (8-K: 49% of KA-SAT wholesale entity); SpaceX 'competition complaints' at FCC (Via Satellite: petition alleged spectrum-license violations). Also fixed IPO price ($9 not $4.50), FCC MBA 78% figure, RDOF 'ineligible', FY loss year labels, pricing, removed TS2 Tech junk source.
52->42. Since Feb 2026: residential base kept shrinking (143k Dec 2025 -> 130k Mar 2026 -> 115k Jun 2026, ARPU $111-113), FY2026 net loss $34M, CEO pay +80% to $14.2M (63:1), Carronade cooperation agreement adds 2 independent directors (May 2026) amid strategic review of a gov/commercial split, Viasat opposes SpaceX EPFD relaxation at FCC, ViaSat-3 F3 (Aug 31) and F2 (Sept 17) entered service; pricing unchanged. D1 7->6 (correction: invented ACSI 64 removed; CR lowest ratings and subscriber collapse support 6), D2 5->3 (recalibration: no interconnection disputes or business-customer exploitation documented; Inmarsat merger cleared unconditionally), D3 4->3 (recalibration: no dividends/buybacks ever, deleveraging), D4 6->4 (recalibration: no contracts since 2024, Starlink widely available, 81% subscriber exit shows weak lock-in), D6 6->5 (recalibration: ETFs gone; equipment-return trap and phone cancellation remain), D9 5->4 (recalibration: 2023 layoffs were integration cuts during losses; 63:1 ratio; board refresh), D10 5->3 (correction+recalibration: old score leaned on insurance claim and cyberattacks Viasat suffered; lobbying modest, no enforcement found). Eras: 'IPO & Acquisitions' re-dated 2000-01-01->1996-12-03 (IPO); 'Consumer Broadband Entry' re-dated 2012-01-01->2009-12-15 (WildBlue acquisition); 'ViaSat-2 & Unlimited Bait' re-dated 2018-01-01->2018-02-27 (unlimited plans); 'Starlink Threat & Inmarsat Bet' re-dated 2021-11-01->2020-12-07 (RDOF loss); current 'Post-Acquisition Strain' re-dated 2026-02-19 (assessment date)->2023-05-30 (Inmarsat close); 'Defense Startup' kept. All eras re-scored; Era 1-2 D10 lowered (no events found). Evidence[32]/[33] moved off D10 to D3/D2. Category OK.
No material changes since 2026-02-19. Checked FY2026 results (continued fixed broadband subscriber decline, an already-scored trend), ViaSat-3 F2 entering Americas service May 2026 (potential future improvement, no delivered residential gains yet), F3 launch, activist spin-off pressure on the Defense segment (still exploratory), pricing, layoffs, leadership, and regulatory/legal actions. No finding moves a dimension into a different scoring band.