If you've shopped for internet service before, you already know that your internet speed is one of the most important decisions you'll have to make when choosing a new internet plan. It'll determine how easily you can do everything you love online and how happy you will be while doing them. That's why we've created this guide, so you can understand how much internet speed you need and make the best decision for your family.
Internet Definitions You'll Need To Know
To start understanding how much internet speed you need, you'll need to first understand the terminology used. We've rounded up the most important internet terminology and their definitions to help you make a more educated decision while shopping for internet service:
● Download speed: the rate you receive data from the internet. For example a web page, video or song loading up uses your download speeds.
● Upload speed: the rate you send data to the internet. For example sharing photos, backing up files or videos uses your upload speeds.
● Latency: is the amount of time it takes for information to travel from your device to over the internet and back. The lower the amount of latency you have the better, especially for online activities like video games. Latency is generally very fast with fiber internet, and slower with satellite internet.
● Wi-Fi: is your wireless internet connection. Unfortunately there is minor speed loss when utilizing your internet over Wi-Fi versus a direct wired connection. To make your internet connection wireless, you'll need a router.
● Data caps: is an arbitrary limit your internet provider puts on how much you can use the internet each month. Everything you do online uses data, but some activities use more data than others like streaming, downloading large files and gaming online. Not all internet providers put a hard data cap on their plans, but it is something to be mindful of otherwise you can get overage charges tacked onto your monthly bill.
● Bandwidth: is how much information a network can handle at one time. If there's little bandwidth to go around, your internet speeds can appear slower than usual. This is a common problem with cable TV during peak hours.
● Service contracts: some internet providers impose service contracts. For example you may be required to keep service for 12 months or 24 months. If you were to cancel early, you would face a hefty early termination fee tacked onto your final bill.
● DSL internet: is an internet connection that uses phone cables to get you online. It's slower than cable or fiber internet, but in some instances it can be faster than satellite, fixed wireless or mobile broadband depending on where you live. DSL internet speeds top out at 100 Mbps in the best circumstances.
● Satellite internet: is an internet connection that uses a satellite on your property to send information into space and back. With satellite internet you'll experience higher latency than other types of internet. Satellite internet speeds also top out around 100 Mbps, although the most common speed is only 25 Mbps.
● Cable internet: is an internet connection that uses coaxial or cable TV lines to deliver internet service. Cable internet tops out at internet speeds at 500 Mbps under the best circumstances. When combined with fiber technology as with a hybrid fiber coaxial connection otherwise known as fiber to the node, internet speeds can reach over 1 gig.
● Fiber Optic internet: is an internet connection that uses strands of glass bundled together to transfer information via light. Fiber internet speeds can top out well above 2 Gbps, but due to infrastructure limits, fiber doesn't have a huge reach.
● Fixed Wireless internet: is an internet connection that uses points to deliver internet. It's a mostly rural internet option where it connects one location to another with radio waves. Fixed wireless can reach speeds up to 1 Mbps, however most users receive an average speed around 25 Mbps.
● Mobile broadband internet: is an internet connection that uses the same local towers that cell phones use to deliver internet service. Mobile broadband tops out at 5G in most areas today. However some areas still use 4G and legacy 3G depending on where you live.
● Dial-up internet: is an outdated internet connection that uses telephone lines to dial into the internet. It's not a viable form of internet for today with internet speeds maxing out at 56 Kbps.
What Is Broadband Internet?
The Federal Communications Commission or FCC defines broadband internet as an internet connection with a minimum 25 Mbps download speeds and a minimum of 3 Mbps upload speeds. All internet plans that don't meet the FCC's minimum requirements cannot legally be called broadband internet and are not considered high speed internet service.
What Is A Good Internet Speed?
Unfortunately, this is a trick question. What a good internet speed is for you, may be very different for your neighbor or your parents. It all depends on what you plan to do online and how many internet enabled devices you have connected onto your network simultaneously. However, we never recommend choosing an internet plan that's below the FCC standard for high speed internet service or 25 Mbps. Anything below this is certain to not be sufficient for any modern household.
Introduction To Calculating The Internet Speeds You Need
To get started calculating the internet speeds you need, you'll need to answer the following questions:
● How do you and everyone in your home use the internet? Activities like streaming, online gaming and smart home devices will require faster internet speeds than simply checking emails when you get home from work.
● How many devices do you have connected to your Wi-Fi connection? In this connected world, most homes in the United States have an average of 10 internet enabled connected devices. The more devices you have, the faster internet speeds your household will need even if they're not all powered up simultaneously.
● Does the internet plan you have right now work well for your home? While this won't help you calculate a specific number, it provides a baseline of what you need or even more if it isn't fast enough now.
Finding the perfect internet speed for your family can be difficult. There's a lot of information you need to know to make an educated choice and you may not have all the answers. You're not alone in this and that's okay. To make this easier for you we've come up with this list of common internet activities, the bare minimum internet speeds they need to operate and our recommended internet speeds for a buffer free experience:
