What's the best internet speed for you?

These days it seems like no two households use the internet in the same way. So, if you’re considering new internet service, or a possible upgrade, you may well wonder what speed is best for you. 

There are definitely some things to consider, such as the size of your household and what you like to do online. The good news is that for most people, any fiber internet speed plan—up to 500 Mbps or 940 Mbps—will provide enough bandwidth. Typically, the choice comes down to how many devices you plan to have connected at the same time. You can take our speed quiz to find out what your needs are, or keep reading below.

So, what’s the difference between “bandwidth” and “speed”? You may hear both of these words used as if they mean the same thing, but they are slightly different. Check out several speed-related articles on our blog (like Internet speeds explained) to learn more.

To figure out the best total bandwidth for your household, add up the bandwidth you’ll need for all your online activities happening at the same time on all your devices. Then count on a bit more to allow for any smart thermostats, smart alarm systems, or additional connected devices you may have that aren’t included in the table.

To further put it into perspective, check out these real-world examples.

Household 1

Household 2

As you can see, even our lowest speed plan of up to 500 Mbps is enough to do so much. Imagine what’s possible with speeds up to 940 Mbps, or those ultra-fast “gig speed” plans, like speeds up to 3 Gbps^*? The sky’s truly the limit! Learn more about gig speed.

^* Limited availability, service and speed in select locations only. 

With fiber internet, not only do you get super-fast download speeds, but you can also achieve equally fast upload speeds. So what’s the difference?