What is a good internet speed?
For most homes, 100 to 300 Mbps is plenty. The right number depends on how many people are online at the same time and what they are doing.
- The FCC benchmark for broadband is 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.
- 1 to 2 people: 100 Mbps. 3 to 4 people: 300 Mbps. 5 or more, or heavy users: 500 Mbps to 1 gigabit.
- Upload speed and latency affect calls and games more than download does.
What each activity uses
| Activity | Download needed |
|---|---|
| Email, browsing, music | 1 to 5 Mbps |
| HD video stream | 5 to 8 Mbps |
| 4K video stream | 15 to 25 Mbps |
| Video call | 3 to 4 Mbps (and the same upload) |
| Online gaming | 5 to 10 Mbps, low latency matters more |
| Downloading a large game | As fast as you have |
Add up what happens in your home at the busiest hour, then add about a third for headroom. Our speed estimator does the sum for you.
A quick rule by household
- 1 to 2 people: 100 Mbps covers streaming, calls and browsing.
- 3 to 4 people: 300 Mbps lets several streams and calls run at once.
- 5 or more, or a home office plus gamers: 500 Mbps to 1 gigabit.
Do not ignore upload
Download is what you receive. Upload is what you send: your face on a video call, photos to the cloud, a camera feed. Cable, DSL and wireless plans often have far less upload than download. If two people take video calls at once and you have cameras backing up, look for at least 20 Mbps upload.
Latency
Latency, or ping, is the delay before data starts moving. Under 50 milliseconds feels instant. Fiber and cable are lowest, traditional satellite is highest. A fast plan with high latency still feels sluggish in games and calls.
When more speed will not help
If your plan is fast but the back bedroom is slow, the problem is Wi-Fi, not the plan. Moving the router or adding a mesh system fixes more complaints than upgrading the plan does.
Common questions
Is 100 Mbps fast enough?
For one or two people, yes. It handles a 4K stream, a video call and browsing at the same time.
Do I need gigabit internet?
Most homes do not. It helps large households, people who download very large files often, and anyone who wants plenty of headroom.
What is the difference between Mbps and MB?
Mbps measures speed. MB and GB measure the amount of data. A 100 Mbps line downloads about 12 megabytes each second.