How fast is good internet

A unit of measurement used to indicate download and upload speeds. Upload speeds. Transfer data from your home for activities like video calls, uploading large files, working on online documents and live gaming. Get the latest internet, streaming, wireless, TV and home security news directly to your inbox. On this page: How is internet speed measured? What is broadband? What is considered fast internet? What is considered slow internet?

Take a speed test What difference does a good speed make? When are download speeds important? When are upload speeds important? Common fast internet speed tiers include: Mbps Mbps Mbps Mbps. When connecting multiple devices, streaming in HD or using a Wi-Fi connection , speed tiers that could be considered slow include: Anything less than 1 Mbps 3 Mbps 5 Mbps.

Dial-up Regardless of the internet activity, dial-up is considered slow internet because it can only offer speeds up to 56 kbps. Fixed wireless Fixed wireless is a popular internet solution in rural areas. Your speed test results:. Download Speeds. Upload Speeds. Need more for the price? View providers near me Rather chat? Give us a call: Rather chat? What to read next Read more. Everything you need to know about internet speeds Ari Howard — 12 min read.

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Email address. Zip Code. Enter your address to view what's available near you Why do we ask for your address? Street address. ZIP code. If you want to stream in 4k Ultra HD, you will need a minimum of 25 Mbps.

However, streaming even one video in 4k HD may use up all of your available bandwidth. For that reason, if you like high-definition video and you have more than one device connected at a time, we recommend a speed of 50 Mbps or more. For instance, say you have a 25 Mbps down connection speed.

Your total potential speed is split across all of the devices connected to the network. Also, using WiFi will always be slower than a hardwired connection. Trying to stream over WiFi can produce less-than-stellar results. Use our bandwidth calculator to get an estimate of the speed you actually need to stream on multiple devices at home. Online gaming is one of the few activities that require a fast upload speed.

This is because the actions that you perform in-game are uploaded to a server for other players to view and interact with. Minimum internet speed requirements for gaming are usually Mbps if nobody else in the house is using up your bandwidth. Unfortunately, slower internet plans such as these may not give you the upload speed you need for a consistently good experience.

If you are the only one at home, a 25 Mbps internet plan is recommended for smooth gaming. Latency is a measurement of the amount of time it takes for data to be transmitted from one point to another. Honestly, the majority of users will likely not be impacted by latency. Latency is more of an issue for satellite internet users as it takes longer for data to travel and is more susceptible to interference than wired internet connections i.

You will likely see the term GB used in conjunction with data caps, which some providers use to limit the amount of data you can consume. These can either be hard capped service is not available after exceeding the stated amount or soft-capped, meaning you will simply experience slower speeds — and potentially, additional charges. Fiber-optic internet is also less susceptible to slowdowns, so you may also want to factor that into your decision.

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Devon Delfino. There is no one "good" internet speed, but you'll likely need a download speed of at least 12 megabits per second Mbps to browse the internet comfortably. Generally, internet speeds can be divided into three categories: basic, average, and advanced. If multiple devices are using your internet connection at the same time, you'll need internet speeds around 25 Mbps to accommodate them.