A good internet speed is a must-have for most people and households. This speed isn’t the same for everyone though as we all use the internet for different things. The internet speed that’s best for you will depend on how many people and how many devices you need to use at a given time. Here, we’ll help you figure out what broadband speed you require by answering the question – ‘What is a good broadband speed?’
Navigate our article on broadband speeds in the UK:
- What’s the minimum broadband speed I need?
- What’s a good download speed?
- What’s a good upload speed?
- What can I do with different internet speeds?
- UK broadband speeds FAQs
What’s the minimum broadband speed I need?
As a bare minimum, we’d recommend that you have a download speed of at least 10 Mbps. This will allow you to perform basic online tasks like surfing the web, email, social media, online shopping and streaming in standard definition.
When you start to involve more demanding internet tasks and multiple users however, you’re then going to need a higher speed.
What’s a good download speed?
While a download speed of at least 25Mbps is considered enough for most internet activities, we’d still recommend having at least 40Mbps if your household contains multiple users.
For those who like to stream in Ultra HD, we’d recommend a quicker connection. Because Ultra HD requires at least 25Mbps by itself, you’ll want a download speed nearer to 100Mbps for when more than one of you is online at once.
If your household is full of regular internet users – this includes gaming, streaming, downloading and video calling all at once – then we’d recommend speeds of 250Mbps or more. The ultimate broadband experience can be achieved around the 900Mbps mark. At this speed, you’ll often be getting fibre broadband.
To learn more, check out our guide on broadband speed and what broadband speed you’ll require.
You can use a comparison site like GoCompare to find a broadband deal near you.
And what’s a good upload speed?
The majority of households can make do with an upload speed of 5-10Mbps. This is more than enough for most video calling platforms, uploading small files and casual online gaming.
If you’re a more competitive gamer or regularly upload large files than you’ll want a higher upload speed of at least 25Mbps.
What can I do with different internet speeds?
- 10 Mbps – This internet speed is best for one or two people with fairly small needs. Low internet-usage tasks may include surfing the web, going on social media, online shopping and standard definition streaming
- 40 Mbps – HD streaming, online gaming, surfing the web, social media and online shopping. The main difference between 10 and 40 Mbps is that at this speed, your internet will be able to cope with multiple people using it at once
- 100 Mbps – Again, this internet speed is better equipped to dealing with multiple users. It can be comfortably used for Ultra HD streaming and online gaming
- 250 Mbps – Multiple internet-heavy users who require ultrafast downloads and Ultra HD on multiple devices
- 900 Mbps – Simultaneous Ultra HD streaming across several devices. This internet speed can also accommodate online gaming and large downloads for almost any number of devices
UK broadband speed FAQs
What is internet bandwidth?
Internet bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be transferred across your connection at any given time. Although bandwidth often refers to internet speeds, there is a slight difference. Internet speeds are the rate of data transfer, whereas your bandwidth is how much your connection can handle at the same time.
What’s the difference between download and upload speeds?
Download speed is how quickly you can retrieve data from the internet, whereas upload speed refers to the speed at which you can send data from your devices to the internet.
Because we tend to download more than we upload, having a faster download speed usually takes priority. With that being said, there are some daily activities that require a reasonable upload speed, such as video calls, gaming and posting on social media.
How is broadband speed measured?
Broadband speed is measured in bits, with the majority of broadband packages being measured in megabits-per-second (Mbps).
- 1 Kbps = 1,000 bits per second
- 1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bits per second
- 1 Gbps = 1,000,000,000 per second
The higher the bits per second, the faster your broadband speed is.
What’s a good broadband speed for streaming video?
The minimum broadband speed for streaming in standard definition (SD) on the majority of platforms is 3Mbps. This rises to 5Mbps for HD. For Ultra HD, the minimum download speed required is 25Mbps.
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