The demand for fast, reliable internet is high and as the world continues to digitize, the need isn’t like to wane. Companies are racing to offer the top product. The flashy service packages offer a lot, but they can also come with a hefty price tag.
For the average internet user, you might not need all the bells and whistles offered in popular service packages. So, where’s the middle ground between overpaying for internet access and enduring dreaded buffering?
Every household has different needs, but it’s the average individual user doesn’t need super-fast internet speeds to stream video whether its on-demand or a live streaming service.
Cord Cutters News’ Luke Bouma recommends customers add up how many streams they want at once, multiply by five, and then double it. Two HD streams at one time would be about 10 Mbps but doubling to 20 Mbps would better support streaming and surfing online.
Here’s what Netflix suggests for a quality viewing experience on its service:
| Video quality | Resolution | Recommended speed |
|---|---|---|
| High definition (HD) | 720p | 3 Mbps or higher |
| Full high definition (FHD) | 1080p | 5 Mbps or higher |
| Ultra high definition (UHD) | 4K | 15 Mbps or higher |
Netflix offers two simultaneous streams on its Standard with Ads and Standard plans. The Premium tier supports four simultaneous streams.
Disney+’s recommended speeds aren’t much different. The platform supports up to four simultaneous streams.
As of April 2023, this is what Google recommends for streaming on YouTube:
| Video Resolution | Recommended sustained speed |
|---|---|
| 4K UHD | 20 Mbps |
| HD 1080p | 5 Mbps |
| HD 720p | 2.5 Mbps |
| SD 480p | 1.1 Mbps |
| SD 360p | 0.7 Mbps |
A fast and reliable connection is pretty important with so much of our daily lives involving the internet. It’s easy to overpay for internet — especially with the often-confusing jargon providers use — but having a solid knowledge of what you need in terms of speeds can be helpful.