Exede Internet Customer Care: A Practical, Detailed Guide for Legacy Customers

Who Handles “Exede” Today and What That Means for Your Support

Exede was the residential satellite internet brand launched by ViaSat Inc. in early 2012 following the ViaSat-1 satellite (commissioned late 2011, ~140 Gbps total capacity). In 2017, the Exede brand transitioned to “Viasat Internet,” coinciding with the build-out for ViaSat-2 service. If your bill, modem, or plan still references “Exede” or “WildBlue,” you are a legacy customer now serviced by Viasat Customer Care.

Practically, this means you will contact Viasat—not a separate Exede department—for all support, billing, and account changes. Legacy Exede plans (e.g., Liberty, Essential, Classic) remain supported; equipment such as the SurfBeam 2 (SB2/SB2+), the Viasat WiFi Modem, and associated TRIA (outdoor radio) are still actively maintained. When you call or open a ticket, mention that you are on a legacy Exede plan so the agent can quickly pull the correct provisioning details.

How to Reach Customer Care (Phone, Web, Addresses)

Primary phone support (U.S.): 855-463-9333. This is the fastest route for service-impacting issues like no connectivity, repeated modem reboots, or suspected dish misalignment after storms. Have your service address and the name on the account ready; if you have an account or billing number, keep it handy.

Online resources: support.viasat.com (knowledge base, account help), my.viasat.com (account login for plan details, data usage, and billing), and community.viasat.com (peer-to-peer forum moderated by Viasat staff). For legal terms (including historical Exede agreements and current policies), use viasat.com/legal. If you are working through a reseller, you can still use the main Viasat channels, but you may also have reseller-specific contacts listed on your invoice.

Corporate mailing address (not a walk-in service center): Viasat, Inc., 6155 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92009, USA. Do not ship equipment returns to this address; equipment returns are managed via a prepaid kit and specific return instructions generated through Customer Care.

• Information to have ready when you contact support: service address and best callback number; account holder’s full name and last 4 of the payment method; modem MAC/ESN (on the label under the SurfBeam 2 or on the rear of the Viasat WiFi Modem); date of your most recent invoice; a brief timeline of the issue (e.g., “went offline at 8:15 p.m., Online light blinking”).

What Customer Care Can Do for Legacy Exede Accounts

Customer Care can diagnose connectivity issues (beam health, modem registration, and TRIA status), schedule a field technician for dish/line-of-sight or cabling issues, and swap defective modems. They can also verify plan provisioning, check your beam’s congestion conditions, and confirm if a localized or national outage is in effect. If you use a third-party router, they will generally support the Viasat modem through the LAN port and can verify WAN handoff; beyond that, third-party router configuration is your responsibility.

For billing and account management, Customer Care can update payment methods, review charges, and explain plan particulars such as priority data thresholds and post-threshold speeds. On many legacy Exede plans (e.g., Liberty plan family), “data tokens” or “Buy More” add-ons may be available to immediately restore priority data; pricing and increments are shown in your online account at my.viasat.com and vary by plan and location. If you’re relocating, they can arrange a move order so a certified installer re-points or re-mounts your dish at the new address and transfers service without starting from scratch.

Self-Service Troubleshooting Checklist (Modems, Cables, and Signals)

Legacy Exede hardware commonly includes the SurfBeam 2 modem (front LEDs typically: Power, Receive, Send, Online, LAN), or the integrated Viasat WiFi Modem (adds Wi‑Fi/WPS indicators). A healthy connection shows solid Power, solid Receive/Send, solid Online, and an active LAN/Wi‑Fi light when devices are connected. A blinking or dark Online light usually indicates registration or signal issues; repeated cycling of Receive/Send may mean weather fade, coax issues, or misalignment.

Before you call, document the LED pattern and run a controlled test (one computer connected directly to the modem via Ethernet, Wi‑Fi off). If performance is slow rather than fully offline, test again with a single active device and run two speed tests back-to-back—ideally to a nearby server—to rule out local congestion. Note the time and result.

• Power-cycle the modem: unplug power for a full 60 seconds, then plug in and wait 5–10 minutes. Watch for Online to go solid.
• Inspect the coax: finger-tighten F-connectors at the modem and wall plate; look for kinks, corrosion, or moisture intrusion.
• Check the dish line-of-sight: after heavy snow, rain, or wind, make sure the dish is not obstructed or physically shifted; do not manually re-aim.
• Bypass third-party routers: test a single device via Ethernet directly to the modem to eliminate LAN-side issues.
• Verify usage and plan status at my.viasat.com: if you’re past your priority data threshold, speeds may be deprioritized during congestion.
• Run speed tests to reputable servers (e.g., speedtest.net to a nearby ISP; single-connection mode helps simulate large downloads). Note that geostationary satellite latency is typically 600–750 ms; this will lower short-burst throughput on some tests.

Billing, Contracts, Cancellations, and Moves

Many legacy Exede accounts were set up on 24-month terms with autopay. If your invoice still references Exede, you can usually retrieve it and manage payment methods at my.viasat.com; if your login predates the rebrand, Customer Care can help link your legacy account. If you see unexpected charges, ask for an invoice-level explanation—agents can break down proration, equipment fees, and any promotional roll-offs that occurred after an introductory period.

Early termination terms vary based on the date and plan. In published legacy Exede agreements, early termination fees were typically calculated per remaining month of a 24‑month term (for example, $15 per remaining month), but confirm your exact terms at viasat.com/legal or with an agent, as plan documents changed over the years and by market. If you cancel, you’ll receive a prepaid return kit and instructions; promptly return the modem and the outdoor TRIA to avoid an unreturned‑equipment charge. Keep the tracking number until your return is confirmed.

For moves, schedule a relocation order rather than cancel/restart. A certified technician will mount and align the dish at your new address, verify signal, and reactivate service on the correct beam. Lead times are often a few business days depending on installer availability; ask for the earliest window and request SMS/phone appointment notifications so you can coordinate access.

Outages, Performance Expectations, and Escalation Paths

Short-term slowdowns can stem from beam congestion during peak hours, weather fade (heavy rain/snow along the dish-satellite path), or a local cabling/aim issue. Geostationary satellite links also have inherent latency (commonly 600–750 ms round trip). Applications tolerant of latency (web browsing, streaming with prebuffering) fare better than real-time apps like interactive gaming or certain VPNs. Legacy Exede plan speeds were typically advertised up to 12–25 Mbps downstream; real-world throughput depends on beam load and whether you are within priority data.

For outages, ask the agent to check beam status and any maintenance windows. If a technician visit is needed (e.g., dish re-aim after wind, failing TRIA), you’ll receive a work-order number and a scheduled time window. Keep a record of your case or ticket number, test results, and photos (if safe) of any visible damage; this makes escalation smoother if multiple visits are required.

If you need to escalate beyond first-line support, request a case escalation and a callback from a supervisor or tier-2. You can also summarize your case (with the ticket number) on the moderated forum at community.viasat.com, where employees and experienced users may suggest next steps. For policy or contract disputes, reference your specific plan document at viasat.com/legal so the reviewer can align the resolution with the exact terms you accepted.

Notes on Programs and Assistance

If you previously used federal discounts (e.g., the Affordable Connectivity Program), be aware that ACP funding lapsed in 2024; check support.viasat.com for the latest on any replacement programs or bill credits. For accessibility requests (telecommunications relay, alternate bill formats), notify Customer Care so they can annotate your account and route communications appropriately.

Finally, keep your contact details current in my.viasat.com so you receive outage notifications, appointment confirmations, and policy updates. Accurate email and mobile numbers often speed up resolution by avoiding missed technician windows and enabling two-way troubleshooting texts with support.