How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?

If you are trying to find out how much Internet Speed do you need then it basically depends on what kind of services you intend to use.

Whether you want online gaming, stream videos, and music, or just general use, it all depends on what type of activities you do on the internet.

When we talk about Internet Speed then we basically talk about the download speed, the rate at which the data from the internet is downloaded to your computer.

Most of the internet providers also do this and they distribute the bandwidth in such a way that the majority of the speed is for downloading and only a little is available for uploading.

This is fine for services such as video streaming or music streaming but when it comes to online gaming or for users who use cloud-sharing applications then it can be a bit problematic because they will have very little upload speed.

So, you should look for a service that provides balanced speeds, so that both the download and upload speeds are balanced.

Along with the activities, the internet speed also depends on another thing and that is how many users will be using the internet at the same time.

This is a very important factor because if the active users at a given time are more then you will need more internet bandwidth so that you get a good internet experience without any issues.

What is a fast internet speed?

According to the Federal Communications Commission or the FCC, an internet connection with download speed around 25 Mpbs and upload speed around 3 Mpbs is considered as fast internet speeds since 2015. At least 25 Mbps of download speed are required to fulfill the needs of a normal household but depending on the services you use and quality, you may need an internet connection around 100 Mbps to accommodate the needs of your household.

How do I find out my current internet speeds?

When you sign up for an internet plan then you are also told about the bandwidth and speed that is allocated to you but sometimes the ISPs may promise one thing and give you another. Therefore, to find accurately find out the internet speed of your internet connection, you need to perform an internet speed test.

There are different websites available online through which you can test your internet connection and find out about the current internet speeds of your internet connection. These tests tell you about the download speeds, upload speeds, and latency of your internet connection.

How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?

The exact internet speed that you need can only be determined by you after you take into consideration all the connections in your family and the services being used. There are some online activities that take up more bandwidth as compared to others such as downloading or video streaming takes more bandwidth than other activities. After you count all the connections and services being used, you will be able to determine how much internet speed do you need.

Video Streaming:

  • Standard: 2-3 Mbps
  • HD: 5-8 Mbps
  • UHD (4K): 25 Mbps

Music Streaming:

  • HD: 2-3 Mbps

Online Gaming:

  • 3-10 Mbps

Downloading:

  • 5-50 Mbps (depends on how fast you wanna download)

Internet Surfing:

  • 1-5 Mbps

Video Calling:

  • Standard: 1-2 Mbps
  • HD: 2-3 Mbps

For an average household, internet speeds around 25 Mpbs are more than enough to cater to the needs of everyone but not everyone can get speeds around 25 Mpbs easily. An internet connection around 10 Mpbs would be decent enough for you if you don’t stream in UHD or anything.

Here are the average required speeds for some of the commonly used online services.

These are just averages only and the main determining factor is the number of users that are actively using the internet at the same time.