1-866-445-8084Internet Speeds Explained
Internet speed can be explained as the rate at which your home connection can send and receive information online. It determines how fast or slow your web browsing, streaming, and other online activities will be.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standard for high-speed broadband is 100 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. But, in reality, that might not be enough to meet every household’s needs — and, in some cases, it could be more than enough.
In other words, what constitutes a “good” internet speed isn’t straightforward.
Many consider 300 or more Mbps sufficient to support multiple heavy internet consumers, while a business will likely need at least 1-2 Gbps. Across the country, some users might get by with internet as slow as 10 Mbps or as fast as 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) — 100 times faster than 10 Mbps.
So, what speed will you need to support your home and office connectivity needs?
Below, we explain internet speed, what might be best for your needs, what can affect it, and more.
What is internet speed?
Internet speed is how quickly data travels between a connected device and the rest of the web. It’s a measure of how fast the internet loads — i.e., how fast it sends and receives information — on your computer, smartphone, or other connection point.
Higher-speed internet means faster-loading websites and quicker downloads. It also means better support for high-definition video streaming and online gaming. Multiple devices on the same network also perform better with a higher-speed connection as those devices share the same internet “pipeline.”
Today’s wireless high-speed internet can easily support multiple computers, smartphones, televisions, and other connected devices accessing the internet at once.
Choosing a speed depends on the number and type of connected devices and the work they’ll be doing.
Simple tasks like sending emails, surfing the web, shopping online, and scrolling photos can be done on lower-speed internet plans. Streaming video/TV, working remotely, gaming online, participating in online classes, and adequately serving all the phones, tablets, and other devices of modern families requires a high-speed plan.
Download Speed vs. Upload Speed
To explain internet speed, you also have to talk about direction.
Download speed is how quickly your devices receive data, such as when downloading music, loading a webpage, or streaming a video.
Upload speed is how quickly data can be sent out from your device, such as when you are on a video call, uploading photos to social media, or sending out emails.
Speeds could range from less than 100 kilobits per second (Kbps) to 2 or more Gbps. While 100 Kbps would take more than 40 minutes to download an average 60-second video, the 2 Gbps connection will do it in less than a second.
Speed vs. Bandwidth
Just like internet speed, bandwidth is measured in bits per second, but it refers to the maximum capacity of the connection.
To understand internet speed vs. bandwidth, think of cars on a roadway. A powerful car can only reach its top speed if there’s room on the road. Too much traffic and you might as well be on a bicycle. The same goes for the internet.
Speed
is how fast data can travel on your connection, similar to how fast a car can potentially go.
Bandwidth
refers to the capacity of your connection, like how many lanes the road has or how many cars it can accommodate at once.
Even if you have a high-speed connection (a fast car), your internet performance can suffer if your bandwidth is too low (a narrow road with lots of traffic). This is why sufficient speed and bandwidth are crucial for a smooth online experience.
How is internet speed measured?
Internet speed is measured in bits (not to be confused with bytes) of data uploaded or downloaded per second.
It’s typically expressed in terms of megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps), although slower speeds might be represented in kilobits per second (Kbps). This measurement indicates how quickly data is transferred between your device and the internet, directly impacting how fast you can load websites, stream videos, or download files.
Gbps vs. Mbps vs. Kbps
Ultra-fast fiber internet connections are often measured in Gbps, while cable connections still clock in at the Mbps range. You won’t really find Kbps anymore — that was the dial-up era.
1 Gbps equals 1,000 Mbps, so 1 Gbps internet is 10 times faster than 100 Mbps internet.
1 Mbps equals 1,000 Kbps, so 1 Mbps internet is 10 times faster than 100 Kbps internet.
Most internet service providers offer plans measured in Mbps and Gbps to support modern online activities and multiple devices.
What’s a good internet speed?
Individuals and households need high-speed internet to support countless parts of their lives — work, education, health, entertainment, and more. Think of all the things connected to Wi-Fi besides computers and smartphones:
Smart TVs
Smartwatches and fitness trackers
Home security/surveillance systems (like a video doorbell)
Gaming consoles
Thermostats
Lightbulbs and fixtures
Speakers
Baby and pet monitors
Appliances (fridge, washer and dryer, etc.)
And that’s just a small sampling.
As mentioned earlier, the FCC considers a good internet speed to be more than 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for downloads. That’s about where you want your speed to be to support multiple modern devices browsing, streaming, and working.
The more internet users you have and the more high-bandwidth activities you’re performing, the higher you’ll want your internet speed to be. In a household with two peopleone person who works from home, 100 Mbps might be enough. In a household with four or five people, who all have smart devices, enjoy gaming, and stream TV shows, you’ll likely want a plan that provides speeds over 100 Mbps.
Is faster internet better?
In general, yes. Faster internet helps every device work to the best of its ability by giving it the fastest path to the web and lag-free digital experiences.
As speed increases, so does might the plan cost, so make sure you shop around for the best price.
Speed vs. Type of Internet Connections
The most common types of internet connections include cable, DSL, fiber, satellite, mobile data like 5G, and dial-up. How you access the internet will greatly affect your internet speed.
Cable Internet
Available to 87% of the country, cable internet is today’s most common connection. It uses the same kind of coaxial wires as cable television. Since cable internet can handle a broad range of speeds up to 1 Gbps or more, it’s long been the standard for households and still covers the needs of most customers.
However, cable internet is reaching its limitations. It’s an asymmetrical network, meaning it provides faster download speeds than upload speeds. In most cases, that’s not an issue, but for heavy uploaders — gamers, live-streamers, remote workers, and the like — that might lead to frustrating lag or poor resolution.
Fiber-Optic Internet
A fiber-optic internet connection is the way to go to get the fastest speeds today. Fiber-optic wires are actually bundles of clear, super-thin strands of plastic or glass that transmit data as light. What’s faster than light?
Fiber internet isn’t available everywhere yet;. These connections tend to start at 1 Gbps. They’re also designed as symmetrical networks, offering equal download and upload speeds that support video conferencing, gaming, and smart devices.
As the highest internet speeds roll out to more and more regions, the cost is dropping, and more customers are logging on. Fiber customers also love that this high-tech connection is significantly more reliable (with less downtime) than cable.
Fiber internet is the future — if it's available in your ZIP code, it’s the way to go.
DSL Internet
DSL, or digital subscriber line, is an internet connection that uses modern digital telephone lines. It is a great choice for bringing internet access to rural places since it uses existing technology. DSL was a top choice for home and business internet in the past, but cable and fiber have since outpaced it.
Telephone lines weren’t designed for transmitting data like the internet requires, so they can only support up to about 200 Mbps. That speed degrades over distance, though, so far-flung customers might only get 5-10 Mbps. DSL doesn’t hold up well with multiple devices, either, which quickly use up the available bandwidth.
Satellite Internet
While satellite internet brings connectivity to some of the most far-off places in the world, it poses significant drawbacks that usually make it a no-go for most residential customers. It typically only makes sense in rural areas where it’s the only option .
Just as GPS (global positioning system) beams data back and forth to satellites orbiting the Earth, satellite internet means your device sends data all the way to space (almost) and back. Traveling all that distance means higher latency, degrading the experience.
Typical satellite internet speeds are about 12-150 Mbps for downloads and 5-25 Mbps for uploads.
Fixed Wireless Internet Using Mobile Data
If you’ve ever used your smartphone as a mobile hotspot to get work done on your laptop, you’ve essentially created your own mobile cellular internet network. This type of internet brings wireless cellular connectivity to homes and businesses so they can access the internet just like a smartphone would. Currently, 5G is the fastest available mobile data connection, up to 1 Gbps.
Since this is a wireless technology, it’s easy to set up without a technician coming to physically connect wires, and customers can take the router with them when they travel or move. However, it’s only as good as the cellular connection available in that location.
Dial-Up Internet
In the beginning (of the internet), there was dial-up. This runs on old-school phone lines and is rarely used anymore. Speeds max out well below 100 Kbps, making even loading the simplest of web pages an exercise in extreme patience. Video? Not happening.
What affects internet speed?
can be caused by several different factors, including:
Bandwidth hogs or a device that’s downloading or uploading an exceptionally large file
Multiple devices sharing the same allocation of data transfer
Hardware issues, like a router or modem that needs to be restarted or is outdated
, when the service provider reduces the bandwidth available to all or certain customers
Spyware or viruses infecting your devices
If you consistently experience slow internet, even with updated devices and secure connections, you likely need to update your plan to a higher speed.
Ideal Internet Speeds for Home and Office
How much bandwidth do you need for your home internet plan? For a single person who works outside the home and casually uses the internet for entertainment, a 100 Mbps download speed might suffice — that’s in line with the FCC standard.
However, most residential internet customers will need at least 300 Mbps to handle working from home (video calls), streaming 4K movies, and playing online games. Fiber internet connections and some cable options can easily handle those kinds of speeds.
That bandwidth gets crowded quickly, though, with multiple people in the household all running multiple devices. Driven by advancements in fiber connectivity, 1 Gbps is becoming the new standard for supporting multi-device streaming, working, playing, and creating.
Gigabit internet also helps support modern Internet of Things (IoT) devices like thermostats, fridges, and fitness trackers. For home and home office use, 1 Gbps and higher internet speed and fiber connectivity are ideal.
What if you’re streaming 8K videos, gaming from multiple rooms, and strapping on VR headsets? An internet speed of 2 Gbps or above might be necessary to give everyone under the same roof the ultimate lag-free experience.
Ultra-fast fiber-optic internet is also a must for businesses with dozens or hundreds of employees and a whole stack of complex business apps. Those networks also have to support customers logging on to gust Wi-Fi networks — Mbps speeds aren’t nearly enough.
For business and office use, 2 Gbps internet speed is ideal.
Just as important as ultra-fast internet is a reliable whole-home Wi-Fi network that keeps all your devices connected. Kinetic also offers an app-based Wi-Fi network manager that make it easy to share your network with guests, reset the modem, and access customer service.
Get Reliable, High-Speed Internet
Picking the right internet speed for your home or office means evaluating not only the people and devices going online but also what they’re doing online. Being constantly connected is critical for your productivity, entertainment, security, and way of life.
It’s important to choose an internet service provider with ultra-fast speed, as well as the technology, support, and pricing for your always-online lifestyle.
With Kinetic Fiber Internet, you get lightning-fast connections and ultra-low lag with multi gig speeds.
Ready to get started? Enter your address to see if Kinetic Fiber is available in your area. Then prepare to experience the unwavering reliability of Kinetic Fiber across all your devices.
Internet Speed FAQs
What is considered a good internet speed?
According to the FCC, high-speed internet is a connection that provides download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 20 Mbps. Whether these speeds are sufficient for your home depends on how many users are connected to the internet and what sorts of activities they’re performing. More users and higher-bandwidth activities, like streaming, gaming, and video calls, will require higher internet speeds.
What do internet speed numbers mean?
Internet speed numbers, measured in Mbps (Megabits per second) and Gbps (Gigabits per second), indicate how quickly data can be downloaded or uploaded. Higher numbers mean faster speeds. For example, 100 Mbps allows you to download 100 megabits of data per second, which is suitable for most household activities.
How do I know what speed my internet needs to be?
Consider the number of users, devices, and typical online activities in your household. Then, factor in high-bandwidth activities like 4K streaming, online gaming, and video conferencing. The more users and high-bandwidth activities you have, the higher speeds you’ll need. You can chat with us for more personalized recommendations.
Does internet speed really matter?
Yes! Internet speed matters a lot. Faster speeds reduce buffering, improve video call quality, and allow for smoother multitasking across devices. However, the importance of speed depends on your online activities. Basic web browsing requires less speed than streaming 4K content, working from home, or online gaming.
What is considered bad internet speed?
Internet speeds below 25 Mbps are generally considered slow or bad. These speeds can result in buffering during video streaming, difficulties connecting multiple devices, and overall poor internet performance. Dial-up, some DSL, and older satellite connections often fall into this category.