In general, to stream most videos in standard definition, you’ll need download speeds of at least 3 Mbps. For example, streaming Spotify music will require less speed than streaming videos or shows. Recommended internet speeds for streaming How much internet speed do I need for streaming?ĭepending on what kind of streaming you’ll be doing, the internet speed needed might change.

There isn’t much left to pull from when your neighbors are all online, your kids and your partner are streaming and gaming and you are trying to hold a video meeting. Keep in mind, too, that having a mid-sized household on a 100 Mbps plan, while doable, may cause some issues during peak usage time for your provider. However, keep in mind that depending on what the four of you are simultaneously accessing online may lead to some lag in your video meeting or your child’s online game.Ģ00 to 400 Mbps plans may be worth the extra money monthly for some families simply for peace of mind that you aren’t going to freeze in the middle of that important meeting with your boss or lose all of your progress in the latest game.

If you have a household of four people, you can most likely make do with a 100 Mbps plan. More than 90% of Allconnect readers who took our internet speed quiz stream TV daily, and more than 25% stream Ultra HD daily, which means fast internet speeds to them are closer to 100 Mbps. So what speed is right for you? The best download and upload speeds for you depend on how you use the internet at home. General home internet speed recommendations What internet speed do I need? In fact, the desire for faster speeds in the form of a fiber connection is becoming more prevalent in American homes, as reported by the FCC, “In 2019 alone, fiber broadband networks became available to roughly 6.5 million additional homes, the largest one-year increase ever, with smaller providers accounting for 25% of these new fiber connections.” 2 Most of us have internet needs that go a bit beyond the basic, like joining in video conferences, working and learning from home and online gaming, with multiple users in our household trying to access all of that at once on many devices. The Federal Communications Commission 1 (FCC) recommends at least 25 Mbps of download speed, which will allow you to check your email, browse the internet and watch a video, but on one device at a time.

The wrong choice can leave you stuck when you don’t have enough speed and the spinning “loading” wheel becomes a norm, or when you’ve got too much speed and you’re paying for much more than you need. If you’re shopping for a new internet service provider, you may find yourself asking what internet speed do I need or how many megabits per second (Mbps) do I need? Choosing the right Mbps for your internet speed needs is a big deal.

Good download speed for gaming