What internet speed do you really need?
Most people are either paying for speed they never use — or struggling on a plan that's too small. Here's how to actually size it.
Internet providers love selling the biggest number. But speed is like the size of a water pipe: what matters is whether it's big enough for everything your household does at the same time — not whether it's the biggest pipe ever made.
What actually uses bandwidth
- Streaming TV: about 5 Mbps per HD stream, 15–25 Mbps per 4K stream
- Video calls: 3–5 Mbps each — but they also need good upload and steady latency
- Online gaming: surprisingly little bandwidth, but very sensitive to latency and stability
- Working from home: calls + cloud apps + file syncing, all day, in both directions
- Security cameras: constantly uploading footage, 24/7
- Smart-home gear, phones, updates: small individually, constant in aggregate
Notice how many of those say upload? That's the number most plans quietly shortchange — here's why it matters.
Sizing by household
One or two people, everyday use — streaming, browsing, video calls. A few hundred Mbps of solid, reliable service covers this easily. On fiber, an entry plan feels effortless because the speed doesn't sag at peak hours.
A busy family (3–5 people) — multiple simultaneous streams, somebody gaming, somebody on a work call, homework happening. This is where cheap plans fall apart at 7pm. You want genuine capacity — a gig-class fiber connection keeps everyone moving without anyone competing.
The power household (6+ people, creators, heavy work-from-home, many cameras) — multi-gig plans exist for a reason, and this is it. Several heavy uses happening at once, every day.
Signs your current plan is too small
- Video calls freeze when someone else starts streaming
- Everything slows down in the evening
- Game or app downloads take "start it and walk away" long
- Security camera footage is choppy or delayed when you check it remotely
Signs you're overpaying
- You live alone, mostly stream and browse, and you're on the most expensive tier "just in case"
- You upgraded to fix slowdowns but the slowdowns stayed (that was probably the technology, not the speed — see fiber vs. cable)
We built our whole process around this idea: instead of showing you a wall of plans, we ask a few quick questions about your household and recommend the smallest plan that genuinely fits — never the biggest one we can sell you. It takes about two minutes, and you can even run a live speed test on your current connection along the way.