While this post may contain offers from our partners, our opinions are our own. Next to price, internet speed is one of the main decision drivers when shopping for internet plans or evaluating your current internet service. What internet speeds do I get? Internet speed is determined by how much data the connection can download download speeds or upload upload speeds per second. In both cases, the speed is shown as bits per second bps.
For most households, having fast download speeds is most important. Upload speeds come into play with things like video conferencing and uploading large files to a server or cloud. Check out this blog for more information about download vs. Per the Federal Communications Commission FCC , a broadband internet connection has a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps.
This gives us a baseline for determining fast and slow internet speeds. Keep in mind there are many things that can affect actual internet speeds and performance. A good internet speed is at or above 25 Mbps. These speeds will support most online activity, such as HD streaming, online gaming, web browsing and downloading music. Internet download speeds of Mbps or higher are often considered fast internet because they can handle multiple online activities for multiple users at once without major interruptions in service.
Cable internet and fiber-optic internet services are your best bets for fast internet speeds. Fiber-optic internet is also a great choice for speed consistency, as it is less vulnerable than cable to slower speeds during peak usage times. Many of these providers offer speeds up to , Mbps in select areas, but Xfinity is currently the only provider with speeds up to 2, Mbps.
Upload speeds of 10 Mbps or higher are generally considered fast internet speeds for upload because they can easily handle the common activities of the average user. For example, Skype recommends upload speeds of 1. Uploading a large file, like MB file document, should take less than 10 minutes with a 10 Mbps upload connection. Download speeds less than 25 Mbps are too slow to be considered broadband. With these speeds, users may experience buffering when streaming video, difficulty connecting multiple devices and other internet connectivity issues.
However, these are minimum speed recommendations and do not account for connecting multiple devices or other factors that may slow your internet speeds. Regardless of the internet activity, dial-up is considered slow internet because it can only offer speeds up to 56 kbps. DSL is the most common internet service type with speeds lower than 25 Mbps. Some cable internet services offer slow speeds as a low-cost internet option but are often capable of providing much higher speeds for a higher monthly cost.
Fixed wireless is a popular internet solution in rural areas. It uses broadcast towers to transmit and receive internet signals. Depending on provider and location, speeds can vary between Mbps, but tend to be on the slower end.
An internet speed test will give you a good idea of whether or not you have the necessary speeds for your household. For best results, take the speed test with a wired connection. Try these helpful hacks to improve your internet speed. Or if you just want more bang for your buck, check out providers near you with more speed for the price. Rather chat? In fact, services such as Verizon 5G Home Internet already deliver wireless internet that provides ultra-fast speeds of Mbps and, depending on location, max speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
And new cities are coming online all the time. Stay tuned as the world discovers the full potential of 5G. For example, if several people in your house want to stream movies; if you often send large files for work; or if you use your connection for competitive gaming, you may want an internet speed plan with Mbps or even more.
Has all this talk about fast and slow internet made you curious about your current internet speed? Why not check it now using our speed test website? Whichever route you go, taking the time to do some homework now can help you get the most out of your internet connection. Understanding internet speeds. So what is considered fast internet? But if you mostly use the internet to surf the web or check email, even a 5 Mbps internet plan would be considered fast enough.
We can also define fast internet based on heavy usage and the number of devices an internet connection can support. With the FCC benchmark, speeds higher than 25 Mbps are considered fast since it will handle multiple devices and simultaneous data-heavy activities. Here are some of the common speed tiers that support multiple devices and users, which you can get through cable and fiber internet connections:.
Internet providers break down speeds based on several factors including your download and upload speeds. Downloading is the time it takes for the server to respond to your request.
Think of it as the length of time it takes to stream your favorite show. This is the time it takes for you to upload something to a server. In this case, think publishing a video to social media or uploading a large document to the cloud. In general, there are going to be several types of internet that offer much quicker download and upload speeds. The fastest, fiber, is becoming more readily available in metro areas.
Dial up internet is among the slowest internet options available whereas DSL will also offer lower speeds depending on where you live, as this determines which plans are available in your area. You might also have access to fixed wireless internet. This is usually available in rural areas. To illustrate the difference a fast internet speed can make, let's look at online gaming and file downloading as examples.
Apart from internet speed, online gaming depends on two other factors: ping rate and latency. It is measured in milliseconds ms. Latency is the delay between your action in the game and its display on the screen. Lower ping rate translates to low latency. A ping rate of 20 ms or lower is generally better, but most online games can perform well up to a ms ping rate. For first-person shooter FPS games, you will need a download speed of up to 6 Mbps , an upload speed of 1 Mbps and a 16 ms ping rate.
Whereas, massively multiplayer online MMO games usually require 3 Mbps download speed, a 0. These speeds are per gaming user, which means you will need an internet connection with higher speeds if there are more players in your network. Similarly, internet speed will also affect how fast you can download large files, such as movies.
For example, with a speed of 1 Mbps, downloading a movie file of 5 GB will take approximately 12 hours.
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