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How Much Internet Speed Do I Need Based on My Usage

We help you decide what Internet speed you need based on your needs.

Internet speed
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How much Internet speed do you really need when you sign up for service? Let us help you find out. We’ll discuss use cases that'll help you determine which Internet speed is most recommended for your needs.

Today, there many Internet options available with different connection speeds and prices. You can choose one if you know what you’ll use the Internet for. So, we’ll start by giving you quick summary of the different speeds and then add more context.

This list breaks down the most popular speeds offered by Internet service providers, along with a summary of the usage recommended by experts. The units are megabytes per second (Mbps).

  • Less than 100 Mbps: This connection allows you to browse the Internet, check your email and social media, and watch streaming content (although not in the highest quality). It’s the basic connection for doing basic things. Streaming shouldn’t give you too many problems beginning at 50 Mbps.
  • 100 Mbps: This is a good speed for exchanging files, using the cloud dynamically to store backups, and accessing content without problems. It’s also perfect for watching any type streaming content, even 4K.
  • 300 Mbps: With this speed, you can download large files regularly and quickly. You can also watch multiple streams at home in maximum quality.
  • 600 Mbps: This speed is suitable for homes with several people and small businesses. It allows you to connect several devices to the Internet simultaneously without significant problems. You can watch different content in Full HD on multiple devices, make video calls, and play online video games at high speed.
  • 1 GBps: One of the highest speeds you can go for. It’s only useful if you want almost-instant downloads or if you want your Internet games to run at the highest possible speed when several people use the Internet.
  • More than 1 GBps: There may be companies that offer as much as 10 GBps, but you’ll only notice a difference with 1 GBps if you move huge files over the Internet or to your clouds. Audiovisual professionals are likely to opt for this speed.

The Speed You Need Based on Your Usage

If you live alone at home, 100 Mbps or 300 Mbps is sufficient for your Internet connection. You can watch all kinds of streaming content, although 300 Mbps is better if you want to consume it in 4K.

With these two options, you’ll be able to download large files at good speeds and send them to other people relatively fast. In short, this should be sufficient for a single person who doesn’t plan to use the Internet heavily on multiple devices simultaneously.

If you’re going to download a lot of content from the Internet and use a lot of video streaming services on several devices at the same time—and if you’re going to have several people at home doing it—then it might be more helpful to go for 600 Mbps because it guarantees much faster download speeds and more bandwidth for streaming.

If you want to play online games, the speed depends on your needs. 100 or 300 Mbps should be enough if they’re slow games. But if they’re demanding, and immediacy is vital, then 600 Mbps might help you have a better connection. Remember that speed isn’t the only factor that affects your online gaming experience.

Here's an example: Say you use the Internet a lot and want to play online at maximum speed while streaming. In that case, 600 Mbps might be enough, but if you’re going to do it with quite large 4K resolutions while there are other people using the Internet, too, then it might be a good call to go for a speed of 1 Gbps.

In general, 300 or 600 Mbps is usually enough for most households. Of course, it all depends on how often you need fast download speeds and how many devices will be using that connection.

Image | Xataka On

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