WHAT BROADBAND SPEED DO YOU NEED?
STOP PAYING FOR GIGABITS YOU DON'T USE
STOP GUESSING, START CALCULATING
It is the most common question in the broadband world: "How fast does my internet actually need to be?" The providers want you to believe that if you don't buy the "Ultra-Giga-Fast" package, your Netflix will buffer and your life will crumble. That is simply not true. Most households pay for speed they never use.
THE BASICS: MBPS EXPLAINED
Before we talk numbers, we need to understand the units. Internet speed is measured in Megabits per second (Mbps). Think of your broadband connection like a water pipe entering your home.
- Bandwidth (Mbps): The width of the pipe. A wider pipe allows more water (data) to flow through at once.
- Latency (Ping): The speed at which the water travels from the source to your tap.
If you have a 100 Mbps connection, you can download 12.5 Megabytes (MB) of data per second. This is because there are 8 bits in a byte. So, a 1GB file would take roughly 80 seconds to download on a 100 Mbps line.
DOWNLOAD VS UPLOAD SPEEDS
Most broadband packages are "asymmetric". This means your download speed is much faster than your upload speed.
- Download Speed: Used for consuming content. Watching Netflix, scrolling Instagram, loading web pages, listening to Spotify. This is what you do 90% of the time.
- Upload Speed: Used for sending content. Being seen on a Zoom call, posting a video to TikTok, backing up photos to the cloud, or online gaming.
Unless you are a content creator constantly uploading large 4K video files, you typically don't need a symmetrical (equal download/upload) connection.
ACTIVITY SPEED CHECKER
Click on an activity below to see exactly how much bandwidth it really consumes.
| ACTIVITY | MINIMUM REQUIRED | RECOMMENDED | UPLOAD NEEDED? |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMAIL & BROWSING | 1 MBPS | 5-10 MBPS | MINIMAL |
| HD STREAMING (1080P) | 5 MBPS | 15-20 MBPS | NO |
| 4K UHD STREAMING | 25 MBPS | 50+ MBPS | NO |
| ONLINE GAMING | 3 MBPS | 25+ MBPS | YES (CRITICAL) |
IS 30-60 MBPS ENOUGH? (STANDARD FIBRE)
For many households, the entry-level fibre packages (often labelled "Fibre 1" or similar) offer speeds between 30 and 60 Mbps. Is this enough?
Verdict: YES, for 1-2 people.
If you live alone or with a partner, 60 Mbps is plenty. You can stream a 4K movie (which takes about 25 Mbps) while your partner scrolls through social media on their phone, and you will still have bandwidth to spare. Don't let a salesperson tell you that you "need" 500 Mbps just to check emails and watch Netflix.
IS 100-300 MBPS ENOUGH? (FULL FIBRE)
This is the "sweet spot" for most families. Once you get above 100 Mbps, you have enough bandwidth for multiple heavy users.
Verdict: YES, for families of 3-4.
With 150 Mbps, you could theoretically have six different screens streaming 4K content simultaneously. This speed tier gives you "headroom". This means if a game update starts downloading in the background, it won't kill the connection for everyone else trying to watch TV.
WHO ACTUALLY NEEDS 1 GIGABIT (1,000 MBPS)?
Gigabit internet is the Ferrari of the broadband world. It sounds amazing, but do you have anywhere to drive it at 200mph?
Verdict: ONLY for heavy downloaders or huge households.
Unless you have a household of 6+ people who are all heavy internet users, or you frequently download massive files (like 100GB Xbox/PlayStation games or raw video footage), Gigabit internet is largely overkill. You won't load web pages any faster than you would on a 100 Mbps line, because the web server at the other end becomes the bottleneck.
THE GAMING MYTH
There is a huge misconception that you need ultra-fast download speeds for gaming. This is false.
Gaming actually uses very little data—often less than 3 Mbps. The most important metric for gaming is Ping (Latency) and stability, not raw speed. A stable 40 Mbps connection over an Ethernet cable will offer a better gaming experience than a 500 Mbps connection over patchy Wi-Fi.
However, download speed does matter for downloading the games themselves. Modern games can be huge. On a 50 Mbps connection, a 100GB game takes about 4.5 hours to download. On a 1Gbps connection, it takes 15 minutes.
WORKING FROM HOME REQUIREMENTS
If you work from home, stability and upload speed are your priorities. When you are on a Teams or Zoom call, you are uploading a live video feed of yourself to the internet.
Most video calls require about 1.5 to 3 Mbps upload speed for high quality. If you have a basic ADSL copper connection, your upload speed might only be 1 Mbps, which causes your video to freeze or audio to cut out. We strongly recommend a Fibre package with an upload speed of at least 10 Mbps for any home office to ensure smooth calls while other people use the network.
QUICK REFERENCE: HOUSEHOLD SIZE GUIDE
SOLO USER
30-50 Mbps. Perfect for streaming Netflix in 4K, browsing, and working from home.
COUPLES / FLATSHARE
60-100 Mbps. Allows two people to stream 4K or game simultaneously without buffering.
SMALL FAMILY (3-4)
100-300 Mbps. The sweet spot. Handles multiple tablets, phones, TVs, and consoles with ease.
STUDENT HOUSE (4+)
500+ Mbps. Essential if 4 or 5 adults are all gaming or streaming 4K in their own rooms at once.
THE PRO / CREATOR
900+ Mbps (1Gbps). For those downloading 100GB files daily or uploading 4K video to YouTube.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IS 50 MBPS GOOD FOR GAMING?
Yes, absolutely. 50 Mbps is more than enough for online gaming, as gaming requires low bandwidth. The more important factor is your ping (latency). For the best experience, use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi.
WHY IS MY INTERNET SLOW EVEN THOUGH I PAY FOR 200 MBPS?
The speed reaching your router might be 200 Mbps, but Wi-Fi signals degrade as they go through walls. If you are far from the router, you might only get 20 Mbps on your phone. Try using a Wi-Fi extender or a Mesh system to fix this.
DOES STREAMING 4K USE A LOT OF DATA?
Yes. Streaming in 4K UHD uses roughly 7GB to 10GB of data per hour. If you have a data cap (which is rare in the UK these days), be careful. Speed-wise, you need a steady connection of at least 25 Mbps.
WHAT UPLOAD SPEED DO I NEED FOR WORKING FROM HOME?
We recommend a minimum upload speed of 10 Mbps. While a single Zoom call only takes about 2-3 Mbps, having that extra buffer ensures your video doesn't freeze if your phone starts a background backup at the same time.
SUMMARY: DON'T OVERPAY
The bottom line? Most people in the UK are perfectly fine with a 60-100 Mbps Fibre package. Unless you have a house full of teenagers downloading massive games, you likely don't need to pay the premium for Gigabit speeds. Check your usage, save your money!