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Whether it’s streaming a video, adding products to your online shopping cart, sending an email, or taking a class on Zoom, high-speed Internet is pertinent. And if more than one device is connected to the web such as your PC, wearable devices, home security cameras, and more, you will need top-notch speed to ensure all these devices function seamlessly.
What is high-speed Internet exactly? To understand that, follow along.
Understanding How Internet Speed is Measured Let’s begin by understanding how Internet speed is measured. It’s determined by download speed and upload speeds. In both cases, the unit used for measuring speed is bps (bits per second). When the connection exceeds 1000s bits per second, K, M, and G prefixes are used. K represents 1k, M represents 100k and G represents 1000M.
Download Speed
Download speed is required for browsing websites, streaming videos or TV, downloading files music,
and more.
Upload Speed
Upload speed comes into play when you are uploading a large file or participating in a video conference.
The Standard Internet Speed
The Federal Communications Commission has set a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps for broadband Internet connection. So this is the baseline to determine what’s a fast and slow internet speed.
Any speed faster than this threshold is considered fast Internet and any speed below this threshold is considered slow.
What’s a Good Internet Speed?
Now let’s have a look at the figures. A speed that’s above 25 Mbps is considered good Internet speed.
It’s capable of supporting online activities like web browsing, HD gaming, video streaming, and downloading music.
Keep in mind this speed is sufficient to perform the above-stated activities per one device. If multiple users will be connected to the Internet and using the bandwidth once, you will need more than 100+ Mbps.
What is Fast Internet?
Any download speed of 100 Mbps or higher is fast Internet speed. It can handle multiple users at once.
These are some of the fast internet speed tiers:
● 100 Mbps
● 200 Mbps
● 250 Mbps
● 300 Mbps
● 400 Mbps
● 500 Mbps
● 1,000 Gbps and more
Popular internet service providers like Charter are offering high-speed internet services with Spectrum packages starting from 100 Mbps to 1 Gig. If fast Internet speed is what you need, they have got plans suiting every budget and speed.
Speed Depends on the Type of Internet
An important determinant of the speed is the type of Internet chosen. Consumers have 5 basic types of internet connections available:
1. Fiber
It’s widely available and by far the fastest Internet connection. Fiber optic cables are used for transmitting a large amount of data quickly. Unfortunately, fiber Internet is not widely available because of high infrastructural cost. If fiber is not available in your region, go for the next option.
2. Cable
Cable is the second-best Internet connection. It’s widely available compared to fiber. The same cables are used to transmit the connection which are used for offering cable TV services. The speed of cable Internet is nearly similar to DSL but the speed offered is faster.
3. DSL
Digital Subscriber Line uses a wire similar to the phone line for transmitting the services. It is much
faster than dial-up connection. The DSL services are widely available, even wider than cable.
4. Satellite
In the landlocked areas where fiber, cable, and DSL services are not available, Satellite connection
comes to the rescue. It’s wireless and is available almost everywhere. It’s bandwidth is low as compared
to other connections. Customers complain about slow connection because of latency issues.
5. Dial-Up
It’s the slowest of all and only offers limited bandwidth. It’s almost obsolete because of the tech
limitations.
How Can I Get High-Speed Internet?
Every household wants high-speed Internet without breaking the bank. Now that you know what fast Internet speed means, you just need to remember these tips when shopping for a good plan:
● Look for a Provider in Your Region
Start your search by locating the companies that are offering more than 100 Mbps download speed. List
them down and now make sure they are available in your zip code. Call them up to figure this out.
● Choose a Plan
Depending on the number of users in your house, pick a plan that matches your online activities. Check
the pricing as well as additional fees and taxes that you will have to pay each month.
● Buy the Service
Once you have found a plan fitting your needs, check the contract requirements and then buy the
subscription. No one can stop you from using blazing speed on the Internet now!
Hope you have found all the information you needed to understand what high speed Internet means. You may now shop for the right plan.
