Superfast broadband sounds appealing. But just how fast is it and do you really need it? Read on to find out. YF Yvette Fletcher. In this article Do you need to switch to get faster broadband? Standard vs fibre broadband The benefits of faster broadband speeds Do I need to get superfast broadband? What about ultrafast broadband?
How accurate are broadband speeds? What broadband package is right for you? Take our three-question quiz to find out what broadband speed you need. Standard Broadband You do not have many devices connected to the internet at one time and rarely do things that require high internet speeds.
Superfast Broadband You have quite a few devices connected to the internet and sometimes engage in activities that need high internet speeds. Ultrafast Broadband You have lots of devices connected to the internet, and a lot of what you do online requires high bandwidth.
How many different devices in your household are connected to the internet at one time? Phones, laptops, smart devices etc How often are people in your household surfing the web? How often do people in your household use video streaming services iPlayer, Netflix, YouTube etc? Broadband speed One album 10 mp3s at 5MB photos 1MB per file One TV show MB via On Demand One movie MB via On Demand 5Mbps standard 1 min 20 secs 5 mins 20 secs 10 mins 50 secs 23 mins 9 secs 16Mbps standard 25 secs 1 min 40 secs 3 mins 23 secs 7 mins 14 secs 38Mbps superfast 11 secs 42 secs 1 min 25 secs 3 mins 3 secs 76Mbps superfast 5 secs 21 secs 43 secs 1 mins 31 secs Mbps ultrafast 3 secs 11 secs 22 secs 46 secs Mbps ultrafast 1 sec 3 secs 6 secs 14 secs Mbps gigabit 0.
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How switching broadband provider can secure your smart home and save you money. Investigates podcast: Season 2 — Tech and Security. Broadband speed. One album 10 mp3s at 5MB. If you are simply browsing the web and reading email, the quality of your internet performance is unlikely to be heavily affected. If, however, you regularly download files, update software, and stream music or HD video, the speed will drop for everyone across the network. Distance from the cabinet — If your standard or fibre optic broadband is sluggish, it could simply be that your home is situated a long distance away from the nearest cabinet where the copper or fibre optic cables are connected.
In this case, switching to a fibre connection will help. However, if you already have fibre and your service is slow, you may be better looking at a 4G or 5G home broadband service instead.
For more information about how the distance from the exchange can impact your broadband speed, read our guide. You can refer back to the estimated speed you were given when you signed up to get an idea of the speed you should be getting. Average download speeds for broadband can be affected by a number of factors. These include how far your home is from the nearest cabinet and telephone exchange, whether your standard broadband is operating along old or damaged copper wires, and what types of broadband are available in your area.
Our postcode address checker can quickly tell you what speeds and types of broadband can be accessed where you are in the UK. Check broadband in my area. Generally a good internet or broadband speed is around 11Mbps for standard broadband. A faster broadband speed would be between 11Mbps and 50Mbps. A very fast broadband speed would be Mbps or higher. For low usage households, browsing or shopping online will be fine. It also depends on how you use your broadband and the number of people in your household.
Lots of devices, streaming and more than two people — we would recommend a minimum of at least 30Mbps. Broadband speeds are dependent on where you live in the UK. To find out, check out our broadband in my area page. Simply enter your postcode and we'll show you the broadband speeds in your area. Mbps or megabits per second is the download or upload speed of your broadband connection.
Without getting too technical — the higher your Mbps, the better experience you will have browsing the internet or streaming movies. The more devices and people you have connected, the higher your Mbps needs to be. As a result of the increasing availability of ultrafast services across the UK, the average broadband speed is now around 80Mbps. However, many people can still not get access to these high speed connections so if you can get Mbps, you are one of the lucky ones!
This website uses cookies to give you the best experience. By continuing, you agree to our cookies policy. About us Contact us Media centre. A unit of measurement used to indicate download and upload speeds. Upload speeds. Transfer data from your home for activities like video calls, uploading large files, working on online documents and live gaming.
Get the latest internet, streaming, wireless, TV and home security news directly to your inbox. Installation practices Self-installation is the default installation option when available for customers. Installation practices Self-installation encouraged. Installation practices Safety-first Installation: A Frontier technician will perform your installation with appropriate safety protocols including wearing protective equipment and maintaining social distancing.
Installation practices Contactless installation: Mediacom will send an installation kit and a technician to set up a single high-speed data connection, phone, or one local TV channel plan with the help of someone in your home. Installation practices Self-installation is encouraged. Installation practices Free Contactless Delivery: An Xfinity technician will drop-off your equipment with installation instructions, then perform any outside work.
Save on fast speed Order a Mbps internet plan for the same price of a Mbps plan. Installation practices Self-installation encouraged for qualified orders. Gaming Minimum download speed Mbps Game console connecting to the internet 3 Online multiplayer 4. Video conferencing Minimum download speed Mbps Standard personal video call e. Skype or Zoom 1 HD personal video call e. Skype or Zoom 1. Your speed test results:. Download Speeds. Upload Speeds. Need more for the price? View providers near me Rather chat?
Give us a call: Rather chat? What to read next Read more. The five best wireless routers of Joe Supan — 6 min read. Problems with Wi-Fi at home? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for internet news and promos.
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Mbps Megabits per second A unit of measurement used to indicate download and upload speeds. Upload speeds Transfer data from your home for activities like video calls, uploading large files, working on online documents and live gaming. Thanks for signing up Stay tuned for the latest news and tips each week.
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