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Knowing how much data you need when looking for an internet subscription is quite challenging, and much of it will depend on your online activity. So, if you’re wondering how many “gigs” of internet you need, we’ve got you covered.
How Fast Should Your Internet Be?
The internet speed you need really depends on what you’re doing online. In the table below, I’ve suggested a higher threshold than what might be necessary for some users to limit potential bottlenecks. You should also remember that you may need higher download speeds if you have more people in your household.
Internet Requirements
Demanding tasks like 4K streaming and gaming
Minimum 60Mb/s
General internet and social media browsing
c. 5-10Mb/s
Working from home
Minimum 20Mb/s; depends on how many people are also working from home
Streaming (up to 1080p; on-demand and live)
10Mb/s or more
There are also a couple of handy terms you should consider when determining how much data you need for your home internet.
Megabits Per Second/Gigabits Per Second
When comparing home internet plans,megabits per secondare commonly stylized as Mbps or Mb/s. You might also see it referred to as Mbits, but they all mean the same. One megabit is an eighth of a megabyte, but when looking for a Wi-Fi package, you don’t need to go too deep into the technicalities. All you need to know is that the higher the Mb/s, the more equipped your internet will be to handle demanding tasks.
When internet providers talk about download speeds, they normally mention the number of megabits per second. However, if you live in an area with ultrafast internet, your standard internet speed measurement may be gigabits per second—that’s 1,000 megabits per second. Gigabit internet is blazing fast, but its availability is limited. It can also cost significantly more than cable broadband, with prices ranging from around $50 per month all the way up to $200+.
Other factors, such as your connection strength, will influence it, but it’s normally a reliable benchmark.
Gigabytes (GB) are used to describe the absolute amount of data that you can use, and you’ll almost certainly have heard of it if you have a mobile subscription (mobile hotspots are one of manyways to get Wi-Fi without an internet service provider). You’ll often get unlimited gigabytes when picking a home internet plan these days, but it’s not always going to be the case—so you should double-check before signing a contract.
How many GBs of internet you need depends on what you do with your computer. If you watch a lot of videos, stream content, or play games, having high data allowances is important. A good rule of thumb is to compare how much data you use on your phone and get something around that if unlimited isn’t possible.
Now that you have a basic understanding of internet speeds and what different terms mean, let’s examine how much you need for different types of online usage in more detail.
1. Gaming, Creative Work, and High-Quality Streaming
While I haven’t played video games in almost ten years, I was an avid gamer as a teenager and still look back fondly on those late-night FIFA sessions. But as anyone who’s played a lot online will tell you, fewer things are more frustrating than when your game lags, especially at a crucial moment. In almost all cases, you may stop these irritating situations from arising by getting an internet connection with better download speeds.
If you play games offline, you don’t really need to think about your internet connection. But if you’re going to play a lot online, investing in high-speed home internet is essential. 60Mb/s is quite a lot, but you’ll have extra wiggle room to ensure your device can handle more demanding tasks.
If you’re going to play games in the highest possible definition, you should look at something with at least 100Mb/s. Getting one ofthe best 4K gaming laptopsis also a wise idea.
You don’t have to stream in 4K to get the best possible viewing experience, but if this is important to you, you should similarly look for an internet subscription with a download speed of at least 60Mb/s.
It’s worth noting that Mb/s doesn’t matter as much with some creative work, like photo editing, as tools like Adobe Lightroom work offline. RAM is more important, and I’ve already spoken aboutwhy I will never buy an 8GB RAM Mac again. Nonetheless, if you’re editing online or uploading 4K/8K videos to YouTube, you should look for a high-speed connection.
2. General Internet and Social Media Browsing
If you use the internet for general web and social media browsing, you can get away with much lower download speeds. Even though much of social media is video content, you’ll still be fine if your download speed is around 5-10Mb/s.
You should go for something closer to 10Mb/s if you watch a lot of videos, whether those are short or long-form. It’s also worth knowinghow to fix your Wi-Fi speed if it dropsfor better peace of mind.
3. Working From Home
When I moved into my most recent apartment, it was crucial that I picked an internet speed that made working from home easier. I’ve experienced a few irritating situations in the past where my connection wouldn’t be able to keep up with my workload, which made it more difficult to get everything done efficiently. Based on my experience, I suggest getting an internet connection with at least 20Mb/s—especially if more than one person works from home.
You should also consider your internet speeds based on how many video calls you normally take. If you regularly usevideo conferencing software for remote work, a bigger download speed will greatly benefit you.
4. On-Demand and Live Streaming
We’ve already discussed 4K streaming, but what home internet speed is best when you’re just planning to stream Netflix, Disney+, etc. like normal? The good news is that you may get away with less than what you would need for high-end streaming, and 10-20Mb/s will be more than enough for most users. The same goes for live streaming.
Again, you’ll need to consider how many devices will use your internet connection simultaneously. If you have more people streaming different things, you might want to consider getting something more comprehensive.
Different online activities require different internet download speeds, and knowing what you’ll use the internet for is a great way to determine what works best for you. If you’re the only person in your household, you don’t need a complex internet connection—especially if you only need it for general use. Nonetheless, you should get something bigger if you have more people or need to perform more demanding tasks.
Overall, faster internet is better, but you don’t want to pay for an enormous amount of capacity you won’t use. Oftentimes, ISPs limit the number of deals available, so picking very specific internet speeds isn’t always on the cards. However, if you know you won’t need gigabit internet speeds and can save some bucks, you absolutely should do.
