Do you need a plan over 1000 Mbps? The average internet user who browses, shops, streams and checks emails really doesn’t need a gig’s worth of internet speed.

(Add about 5 Mbps for every 10 smart home devices.)

If you have four people using smartphones, one TV streaming Netflix and another online gaming, an internet connection of 100 Mbps should be fine. Follow the 20 Mbps rule – A good rule of thumb is to dedicate 20 Mbps to each device that will be using the internet at the same time.If you have two devices operating at once on a 100 Mbps connection, for instance, that bandwidth will be split evenly among the devices, with each getting speeds up to 50 Mbps. Account for multiple devices – Most speed recommendations are for a single device, but almost every household now has multiple connected devices working simultaneously, which will share bandwidth.If you only go with the minimum speeds recommended for your internet activities, you’ll probably run into some issues. But almost everyone uses the internet over Wi-Fi, which generally only provides 50-60% of the advertised speed on a plan. Get double what you need – When you see an internet speed listed with a provider, they’re always showing you what the speed will be through a wired connection.However, there are a few other factors you’ll want to consider.

When you add up how much speed each activity uses - 5 Mbps for HD Netflix, 2 Mbps for Zoom and 8 Mbps for online gaming - it looks like you can get by with a minimum plan. This combo allows data to be quickly transferred in a set amount of time.Ĭhoosing the right internet speed for your home can be a tricky process. Good internet speeds also have low latency and high bandwidth. in October 2022 for fixed broadband was around 182 Mbps download and 22 Mbps upload - well above the 25/3 minimum set by the FCC.

According to Ookla, the median home internet speed in the U.S. In reality, a good internet speed is much higher than 25 Mbps, and the FCC recommended that 100 Mbps be considered minimum broadband. That said, these standards were created back in 2015, and the COVID-19 pandemic proved these speeds inadequate for houses that were working or learning from home.Īround two to three people can use 25 Mbps in a household, but only one at a time can do anything heavier like game or HD stream anything. These speeds will support light online activity, such as streaming, online gaming, web browsing and downloading music. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a good internet speed is at or above 25 Mbps.

What is internet download speed