How Fast Of An Internet Connection Do You Need?

If you have a few people living in your house, and they’re often using the internet simultaneously, you'll need faster speeds and a larger "pipe". If it's just you, don't get hooked by the marketing.

Wasting Money on High-Speed Plans You Don’t Need

I spoke with someone who said they have the “Fibre+ Gig” internet plan. But given how they describe their use, they’re wasting their money. so I suggested downgrading to 300Mbps or at most, 600Mbps.

Salespeople vs. Your Actual Needs

The salesperson didn’t ask the same questions and was only interested in making that sale.

Light Usage Doesn’t Justify a Gigabit Plan

The woman I spoke to said that only she and her husband live in their house, and the most internet-intensive thing they do is watch Netflix and YouTube videos. She works from home, and her husband works in Health Care, so they’re not always using the internet at the same time.

Don’t Be Fooled by Big Numbers

That said, a 940Mbps download on a wired connection sounds really good, and I can understand why that would impress non-tech-savvy people. But I guarantee they’re using a fraction of that speed and certainly not fulfilling the capability that a Fibre internet connection can provide.

It’s Not Their Fault – They Weren’t Informed

Let’s be clear – I don’t blame them. They simply weren’t properly informed when they made the purchase.

So, What Internet Speed Do You Actually Need?

So, what kind of internet package should YOU get? That depends on how those in your household are going to use it. Upload and download speeds are important, but ALL that does is indicate how fast your internet is, NOT how you’re using it or if it’s the best value for your money.

When a Gigabit Plan Makes Sense

If you have a few people living in your house, and they’re often using the internet simultaneously, the more data being transferred across the network and to/from the internet can add up. If a lot of data is transferred simultaneously, it could cause congestion and slow everyone down as the network traffic fights for priority. In a case like that, I think a Fibre Gigabit internet plan would be a wise investment and save some grief and frustration when you need a bigger “pipe” for more data transfer.

When It Doesn’t

If it’s just you, your partner, and you’re fairly relaxed in internet use and don’t always use it simultaneously, a Gigabit internet plan isn’t worth the price tag. You won’t even notice the difference going with 600Mbps, or possibly even 300Mbps, but I wouldn’t go lower than that, and trust me, your internet provider will have no problem upgrading it for you if that becomes a need.

WiFi Limits and Wired Speed Differences

Regardless, you won’t get more than 300Mbps download speed on WiFi. Only a wired connection will provide that. A Fibre connection will provide more consistently reliable promised speeds but will only be “up to” the quoted speed.

The 4K Streaming Exception

The exception to this might be if you want to watch 4K quality movies or TV shows, you’ll need the extra bandwidth to handle that large amount of data.

Watch Out for Data Caps

Data caps are also very important. Having a faster speed with your home internet connection only means you’ll reach your monthly data limit faster unless you have an unlimited plan.

How 5G and LTE Internet Compares

A good example is cellular data like 5G/LTE being used in homes instead of a traditional high-speed wired internet connection. Depending on where you live, the data cap for 5G/LTE can be much lower than typical high-speed internet where cables are buried in the ground, as 5G/LTE is entirely wireless and uses the same cell phone towers your phone does.

What Counts as High-Speed Internet in Canada

The bar for what is considered “high speed” in Canada is rather low. Anything more than 50MBps download and 10MBps upload is considered high-speed, but on average, many rural Canadians use internet slower than that, as per my experiences helping rural customers over the years.

Real-World Speeds in Rural Areas

On another day, I visited someone in Sundre, and her home download speed clocked in at 30 MBps on LTE cellular data. Still usable at those speeds, but you certainly wouldn’t want it any lower than that for something like Netflix or video calls.

My Personal Internet Needs

For my home business, I greatly appreciate at least 700MBps download. Still, it’s usually “up to” that speed because of various factors, including how fast the internet connection is at various points data is being sent to over the internet.

Advice for Sales and Tech Support Professionals

A salesperson, or even an IT person, should always ask what your needs are, and base the solution on that to ensure you’re not wasting your money and will take full advantage of what you’re paying for and not risk getting less or more than you’ll need.

Final Thoughts

The takeaway is that anything that the internet companies will tell you is pure marketing unless you get someone honest and caring about your needs. Most people probably don’t need 700MBps or even Fibre + Gig. Ask what their data cap is or if it’s unlimited.

It’s best to understand how you use your internet connection and what you’re willing to pay for, or you might spend thousands of dollars each year you could keep in your pocket. 700MBps or more isn’t likely needed by one person, but if you’re living with family or roommates, you’ll all sincerely appreciate sharing that wider “pipe”.

Let Me Know What You Think

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