Why Regulators Will Like ViaSat Satellite Voice and Broadband Offering

ViaSat next week will add voice service to its Exede high-speed broadband offering, enabling the company to offer a triple play of voice, video and data over satellite. The addition of voice service to a satellite-based broadband service is likely to be viewed positively by policymakers who have been struggling with how to help cover the cost of bringing broadband to rural areas with high deployment costs.

Exede’s broadband service supports 12 Mbps speeds, making it comparable to DSL. But there is a downside to satellite-based broadband services from Exede and its key competitor Hughes Network Systems in comparison with DSL and other landline-based alternatives such as fiber-to-the-home and cable modems. Unlike those services, the satellite-based offerings have usage caps.