Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Video conferencing, online gaming, social media, and sharing large files all require upload bandwidth-and fast upload speeds reduce the chance of choppy video calls and long load times.ĭata as of 6/15/22. We (speaking on behalf of all internet users) generally download much more information than we upload, so internet providers have traditionally allocated less bandwidth to uploads.īut upload speeds are still important, especially as more people depend on Zoom, Google Docs, and other interactive applications to work from home. On most internet plans, download speeds are much faster than upload speeds. Writing an article or blog post on Google Docs.So if you post to Instagram Reels, your upload speed dictates how fast it takes for your post to load onto Instagram’s server and appear in your feed for all your friends to see.Īctivities that require upload bandwidth: Upload speed is the rate at which information travels from your internet-connected device to the internet.
Scrolling through your social media feed.For example, if you open Instagram on your phone, your download speed would determine how long it takes to load your feed or watch a friend’s Stories.Īctivities that require download bandwidth: There are two types of internet speeds you should know: downloads and uploads.ĭownload speed is the speed at which information travels from various servers on the internet to your own, internet-connected device. With a larger vehicle, you can move more stuff to your place in fewer trips, saving you time and energy. Think of having fast internet as using a pickup truck or SUV instead of a two-door sedan when you’re moving to a new apartment. Better support for multiple users on the same Wi-Fi network.Smoother connection on Zoom calls and livestreams.Lower chance of buffering or dropped connections.
More bandwidth can efficiently support a variety of users and tasks at the same time. In that way, a faster internet connection isn’t just about speed-it’s also about capacity. Having a sufficiently fast internet speed makes it easier to do high-bandwidth activities (like streaming in 4K or downloading a large video game file) without worrying about long load times, buffering, or a dropped connection.įast internet also ensures you can multitask over Wi-Fi on the same device or use multiple Wi-Fi devices at the same time. Internet service providers sell plans that range anywhere from less than 1 Mbps (incredibly slow) to 5,000 Mbps (insanely fast), but most netizens would be happy with 100 Mbps download speeds. You can also monitor your data usage through the app to ensure you don't exceed your carrier's monthly allowances.Internet speed matters because it sets the parameters for what you can do online. To ensure that tests don't exceed the limit, you can set a monthly data usage limit. These include download speed, upload speed latency, latency,jitter, packet loss, and latency.
To accurately measure broadband and cellular performance, you can run manual tests within the app. There is no way to identify you personally. The FCC runs the program to fulfill its Congressional mandate of making publicly available accurate and transparent performance data on US broadband. These tests provide data for the FCC's Measuring broadband America program. These tests can be run over both Wi-Fi or cellular connections. These active tests will evaluate the following metrics: download and upload speed as well as latency, jitter, packet loss, and latency. Active tests can be used to accurately measure the performance of your mobile broadband service.