3 Use Cases For High-Speed Home Internet
If you're looking to switch internet providers or pick up a new internet plan, your options may seem straightforward, at least initially. Most providers offer multiple service tiers, with modern broadband options usually ranging between "fast" and "extremely fast." If you're looking to save some money, you might think that the lowest level plan is good enough for your needs.
While lower-end plans may provide plenty of speed for the average household, they aren't the best fit for everyone. These three use cases help explain why high-speed internet plans might be the right option for your home.
1. Large Families
You're probably used to seeing internet plans listed in Mbps (Megabits per second) or Gbps (Gigabits per second). It's natural to think about these values in terms of speed, but the situation is a bit more complicated. Instead, your bandwidth limits are more like the diameter of the pipe that's bringing data into your home.
In other words, higher bandwidth means you can use more data at once. If you have a large family using multiple devices at once, each device will eat into a bit of your available bandwidth. A higher-tier plan means more data for everyone, so no one in your family will need to complain about slow internet speeds during peak usage times.
2. Heavy Streaming
For the typical household, video streaming probably tops the list of bandwidth hogs. Streaming a video in 4k can use over 30Mbps of your bandwidth, and that's just for a single stream. Other family members attempting to stream will have similar requirements, and devices in use for video games, internet browsing, or other activities will also eat into your available bandwidth.
If you rely on streaming for entertainment, you shouldn't neglect the importance of choosing a higher-tier internet plan. Before making any decisions, consider the maximum number of devices streaming at once and then add a healthy overhead in bandwidth to accommodate other family members using the internet concurrently.
3. Video Conferencing
If you work from home, you probably need a reliable plan for video conferencing. In terms of bandwidth requirements, video conference is similar to streaming moving or TVs. You'll also need more upload bandwidth (a separate stat you can usually find in your internet plan details) to accommodate sending your video to other meeting participants.
High-speed plans are particularly useful for households where more than one person is working remotely. Choosing a plan with plenty of bandwidth will ensure that everyone can use their video conference software productively, so you won't have to schedule your meetings around the activities of other household members.
For more information, contact a local internet provider about different internet plans, like Spectrum internet plans.
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