Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg shown here with a rendering of the ViaSat-2 satellite, which began powering Internet service plans this week.

Carlsbad’s Viasat rolled out Internet plans this week powered by its new $625 million broadband satellite – serving up faster speeds and hefty data use for households outside cable’s footprint.

Viasat says it’s the first satellite Internet provider to offer 100 megabit speeds to subscribers, as well as “unlimited” data plans for video streaming, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“We really are aiming to provide a service that is close to cable from a quality perspective and from a fee perspective,” said Keven Lippert, Viasat’s president of broadband services. “We are trying to provide that cable-like experience for the tens of millions of DSL customers out there who want higher speeds and a higher quality service.”

There are 10 million to 30 million households in the U.S. that are outside the reach of cable systems, said Lippert. They have limited options for high-speed Internet service, with DSL the most common choice.

In addition to providing resident Internet service, Viasat’s satellite network also powers fast in-flight Wi-Fi for JetBlue, American Airlines, United Airlines and other commercial carriers and government customers.

The company also wants to sign up more small and large businesses, and it’s experimenting with providing Wi-Fi hotspots to remote areas, such as campgrounds, marinas and Native American reservations, where users could buy connectivity by the hour.

The hotspots build on a similar program that Viasat has powered in Mexico for towns that lack reliable Internet infrastructure.

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