While scouting for the ideal internet plan, you're bound to see download speeds prominently featured in the offers. These "up to" numbers can range from 5 Mbps, which is considered slow internet, to incredibly fast fiber optic speeds of 1-10 Gbps. How do you know where your household fits within those ranges so that you don’t spend more on a plan with speeds you probably don’t need, or conversely, lack the bandwidth to get what you need done online efficiently?
Low download speeds are considered 3-40 Mbps. Intermediate download speeds range from 50-300 Mbps. High download speeds are 400 Mbps and above. Plan tiers and pricing tend to fit within Low, Intermediate or High range options.
Start by taking inventory of your online activities. Then use our guide to calculate how much download and upload speed you need. Speeds are measurements of network bandwidth and throughput. Download speeds are represented in megabits per second (Mbps) of transfer capacity. One megabit would be enough capacity to transfer a small photo in one second. One thousand megabits is equal to one gigabit per second (Gbps), often called “gigs.” Two types of internet connections offer Gig speeds: hybrid coaxial cable, where broadband cable lines are augmented, and fiber optic cable, which transfers data via beams of light within the cable lines.
Download speeds will heavily impact your experience if you mostly stream, make social media posts, shop, bank, and use email. However, if you upload thousands of photo files, or upload videos or large files, then you should pay attention to the upload speed. It's normal to see download speeds that are many times higher than upload speeds for all connection types except fiber optic, which tends to offer symmetrical, or matching, download and upload speeds.
Let's review how much speed you need to perform different online tasks, as well as how many devices can do so simultaneously at these speeds.
| ACTIVITY | DOWNLOAD SPEED | UPLOAD SPEED | PERFORMANCE | IDEAL USERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checking Email, Streaming Music, Searching Google on 1 device | 2-5 Mbps | 1-3 Mbps | Slow | 1-2 |
| Streaming video on one device | 10-40 Mbps | 1-3 Mbps | Acceptable | 1-3 |
| Video conferencing with Skype, Zoom, or Facetime | 20-40 Mbps | 1-3 Mbps | Acceptable | 1-4 |
| Online gaming for one player | 20-40 Mbps | 2–5 Mbps | Acceptable | 1-4 |
| Streaming HD video on multiple devices | 40-100 Mbps | 5-8 Mbps | Good | 1-5 |
| Multi-player online gaming | 40-150 Mbps | 2–5 Mbps | Acceptable | 1-5 |
| Downloading large files | 40-150 Mbps | 1-3 Mbps | Improved | 1-10 |
| Stream in UHD, online gaming with multiple players | 100-500 Mbps | 11-54 Mbps | Very fast | 1-10 |
| Do it all on multiple devices at the same time | 500-1000 Mbps | 100-200 Mbps | Very High-Speed | More than 10 |
These are based on averages and can vary depending on your equipment, signal strength, connection type and address.
For online learners, a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps is essential. Upload speeds should match this to handle tasks like submitting homework and other assignments. Anything below these speeds can lead to performance issues such as slow portal access, delayed webpage loading, and choppy video playback, potentially hindering your coursework progress. Ideally, opting for a 5 Mbps plan would provide a smoother experience. /
The ideal internet speed for remote workers depends on the work. For frequent video calls and meetings, a plan offering at least 35 Mbps download and 5-7 Mbps upload speeds is recommended. If multiple devices are connected during video conferencing, higher speeds may be necessary.
Sending text-only emails (1-2 Mbps) and basic web surfing (3-5 Mbps) require less than checking social media. However, 90% of social media today includes photos and videos. That will require 3-10 Mbps. Streaming HD videos on social media requires 8 Mbps. Ultra HD will require much more, a minimum of 25 Mbps for better quality.
For basic internet activities like browsing, standard video streaming and simple gaming, a plan offering at least 20-25 Mbps download and 4-5 Mbps upload speeds will suffice. Bear in mind that if you have 3-5 people all doing that at the same time, you will want a higher plan.
On average, U.S. households have 21 connected devices by the time you add in laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, lights that dim using a phone app, smart watches, smart thermostats, security cameras and more. For homes with 30-40 connected devices, a good download speed would be 100 Mbps, with an upload speed of 20 Mbps. This ensures smooth internet usage for activities like streaming 4K videos, online gaming, and web surfing.
Streaming requirements vary; music on YouTube or Pandora demands less bandwidth than streaming movies on Netflix. Standard video streaming needs at least 6 Mbps download speed, while 4K and UHD content requires up to 25 Mbps or more. Corresponding upload speeds should be at least 7-8 Mbps for optimal performance.
A quality online gaming experience calls for 10-25 Mbps of download speed though it’s common to hear lower speed requirements. For gaming, equally important are upload speeds and a gaming-optimized modem and router. PlayStation 5 (PS5) needs at least 5 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload speeds but for a better experience you’ll want 25 Mbps for download and 5 Mbps for upload. The best for an optimal experience is 50 Mbps or higher for download and 10 Mbps or higher for upload. This is ideal for streaming in 4K, multiplayer gaming, and minimal latency.
At a minimum, very large households or offices with many connected devices should look for plans of at least 500 Mbps, but preferably 1 Gig, of download speed. This will support good performance across all devices. If you do have the opportunity for a plan of at least 1 Gig, you’ll need a modem and router capable of handling gigabit speeds. These should be provided by your internet service provider or you can shop for your own devices.
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