Internet Speeds You Need for Different Online Activities

When choosing an internet connection, there are a lot of factors that you need to take into consideration. These elements include the price, latency, and whether the Internet Service Provider binds you to a contract or not. However, there is one other thing that is of great significance, and that is your internet speed.

Your internet speed determines how smoothly you can carry out your favorite online activities, such as watching movies, playing online games, or researching for an academic project.

However, there is a minimum internet speed requirement depending on the activities that you wish to do. For instance, you need at least 5-8 Mbps of internet speed to stream movies and shows in High Definition (HD). Just like that, there are also some other specific requirements for other online activities.

Understanding Typical Internet Speeds

Firstly, you need to know the typical internet speeds you can get from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the United States. On average, you can get at least 25 Mbps of internet speed, which is considered basic.

Moving on, you have a 100 Mbps internet connection, which can cater to 3-4 people at once and is considered an average internet speed. Next up, there’s the 200 Mbps internet speed which is good for 4-5 people and is called a fast internet connection. Taking it up a notch, there are 500 Mbps of internet speed that is good for more than 5 people and is considered “very fast.”

Lastly, there’s 1000 Mbps of internet speed, which is also called a gigabit internet connection and can be used by more than 5 people at a time. If you want the most out of your internet connection, you should definitely get a gigabit internet connection for yourself.

Here is a breakdown of the minimum required internet speeds for various online activities:

Online Gaming

Online gaming is something that demands quite some internet speed, which is why you must have an internet connection that can cater to your online gaming needs. High internet speeds ensure that your game doesn’t lag as you play so that you don’t end up rage-quitting your game.

I am an avid online gamer; I usually indulge myself in games, such as Valorant, and Call of Duty, and when I’m in the mood for mobile gaming, I head to PUBG Mobile. As for my internet connection, I looked into Spectrum Internet Plans and saw that all plans had no data cap, which is exactly what I wanted. Now, my online gaming experience is as seamless as ever!

Not only does my internet connection allow me to play online games, but it also makes it possible to download, install, and update all my games as quickly as possible. If you want to know what the bare minimum of internet speed is, then you need at least 50 Mbps of internet speed for online gaming. However, do keep in mind that a lower latency and internet stability matter more to a gamer. Now, what else do you need a fast internet connection for? Social media! We’ll get to that in the next section.

Browsing Through Social Media

Going through your social media feed typically takes up a small fraction of your internet. Not only this, but it also includes other activities such as downloading movies, ebooks, or academic journals for a project.

You will be glad to know that all these activities require very little internet speed; somewhere around 1-5 Mbps would be sufficient. However, if you are also streaming media, such as shows, movies, or music side by side, then a 10 Mbps speed would be better for you.

Out of all these activities, browsing through social media takes up the most internet speed from the 1-5 Mbps speed bracket. A 5 Mbps internet speed is perfect for you to load all your social media posts. Now that we’re done with social media, what about our show-binging habit on the weekends? Let’s get to that in the following section.

Video Streaming

Video streaming can be done in any way, ranging from watching shows and movies on Netflix to watching videos on YouTube. As I mentioned earlier, it takes around 5-8 Mbps of internet speed to stream content in High Definition.

On the contrary, streaming in Standard Definition takes up around 3-4 Mbps of internet speed, while streaming in 4K Ultra HD requires at least 25 Mbps of internet speed. It would only make sense to stream in 4K if your TV or monitor has a 4K display.

However, other platforms have different internet requirements. For instance, if you like using Facebook’s Live feature, then it demands at least 3 to 6 Mbps of internet speed for you to stream flawlessly, without lagging. Similarly, if you want to avoid that buffer wheel while you watch your favorite YouTube videos, then YouTube recommends an internet speed of at least 1.5 to 6 Mbps.

A Bonus Tip

For all of these online activities, it is best to have the kind of internet connection that is an all-rounder, a Gigabit internet connection. The 1,000 Mbps of internet speed makes it possible for you to do absolutely anything! From watching shows and movies in 4K to online gaming.