Guide to Mbps
Broadband speeds — how much speed do you need?
Broadband is measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Here is how many Mbps you need for different activities and households, what the common speed tiers mean, and the difference between Mbps and megabytes.
How many Mbps per activity?
Rule-of-thumb figures per activity and device. A single activity rarely needs a very high speed — it is the sum of everything happening at once that decides.
What speed for your household?
The more people and devices using the network at once, the more speed you need. Here is a typical picture:
Common speed tiers
Fibre broadband is usually sold in fixed tiers. The figures are download/upload — on fibre they are usually symmetric (equally fast both ways).
Plenty for most households — streaming, work and several devices.
Good headroom for families with a lot of simultaneous use.
For large households, fast downloads and heavy uploads.
Gigabit fibre — maximum speed for practically anything.
Available in some city networks for the most demanding needs.
Mbps or megabytes (MB)?
Speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps), but files are measured in megabytes (MB). There are 8 bits in a byte, so divide the speed by 8 to get the download rate in MB per second.
100 Mbps ≈ 12.5 MB/s · 250 Mbps ≈ 31 MB/s · 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) ≈ 125 MB/s
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Common questions about broadband speeds
How many Mbps do I need?
For one or two people, 100 Mbit/s is comfortable for streaming, video calls and work. A family with several devices in use at once is well served by 250 Mbit/s, and a large household that games in 4K while working benefits from 500–1000 Mbit/s. A single HD stream only needs about 5 Mbit/s and 4K about 25 Mbit/s — the higher tiers are about many things happening at the same time, not a single activity.
What is the difference between Mbit/s and megabytes (MB)?
Broadband speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbit/s), while file sizes are measured in megabytes (MB). There are 8 bits in a byte, so you divide the speed by 8 to get the download rate: 100 Mbit/s ≈ 12.5 MB per second. That is why a 1000 Mbit/s (1 Gbit/s) connection downloads a large file so quickly.
What is the difference between download and upload speed?
Download is how fast data comes to you (streaming, browsing, downloading); upload is how fast it leaves you (video calls, sending files, cloud backup, gaming). Fibre broadband is usually symmetric — for example 250/250 Mbit/s means the same speed both ways — which matters more and more for video meetings and remote work.
Is fibre faster than mobile 5G broadband?
Fibre gives the most stable and highest speeds, up to 1 Gbit/s or even 10 Gbit/s, with symmetric upload and very low latency. Mobile 5G broadband can be fast too and is a great option where fibre is not available, but the speed varies with coverage, distance to the mast and how many share it. Where you can get fibre, it is usually the better choice for a whole household.
Why is my speed lower than what I pay for?
The most common reason is WiFi — distance to the router, walls and interference can drop the speed a lot. Test with a network cable to measure the broadband itself, close other apps and devices, and check whether an older router or evening network load is the cause. If the wired speed is still far below your plan, contact your provider.