Things to Know About Broadband Speeds

Your new home is never complete without a broadband connection. If you are picking a broadband package for the first time, you have to understand about broadband speeds so you can determine what the household needs and you can match it effectively.

Keep in mind that the faster the speed, the more things you can do online. It also means the family can utilise the Internet simultaneously without affecting the consumption of each one. You wish broadband speed is easy but it can be confusing if you do not have basic knowledge about it.

Here are some things you need to know about broadband speeds:

Internet speed explained

Broadband speed describes how fast the data can come and go through the modem provided by the ISP (Internet Service Provider). You should know speed is divided into two things – download and upload. Download speed gauges data received while the upload speed gauges data sent.

It is common to see higher download speed than the upload speed because most people spend more time using data through browsing, downloading and streaming. When you are searching for a broadband package, you will come across ISPs that advertise maximum speed.

Measuring the speed

The speed is measured in Mbps (Megabits per second). This is pretty easy to understand – the higher the Mbps, the faster the connection. The advertised speed is indicated in “up to”. It means that your speed will vary. There are packages that offer up to 38 Mbps while others offer as much as 76 Mbps. This is a good Internet speed for your home.

Clarifying the “good Internet speed”

Good Internet speed will depend on your usage. It can be split into three types – light-use, medium-use, and heavy-use. If the household browses a few times a week, it is considered light-use. For this, good Internet speed is anything offered for cheaper packages.

If the household browses most of the time and watches videos, it is considered medium-use. For this, good Internet speed is a package offering up to 38 Mbps. If the household spends hours of binge-watching and downloading music or movies, it is considered heavy-use. For this, good Internet speed is at least 50 Mbps.

Testing the Internet speed

Before you agree, you should read the fine print. In there, you should see a quoted speed. This will tell you what speed your line can support and the guaranteed minimum speed. When you have it installed, it is a good practice to always test the speed so you can get the most of what you paid for. Speed testing is easy since there are many tools that you can access online.

Factors affecting broadband speed

It is important that you know the factors affecting the speed. Factors include weather conditions, time of day, viruses, number of connections in the household, distance from the exchange and many more.

Final words

You should know about broadband speeds so if something goes wrong or if it does not seem to be fast as promised, you can act on it. At the onset, you should compare broadband speeds so will be satisfied. Remember about the contract length. If it turns out your 24-months contract does not deliver, it will be hard to get out of it.