A good download speed is at least 100Mbps, and a good upload speed is at least 10 Mbps. With 100Mbps, you can stream movies, attend Zoom meetings, and play games online all on several devices at the same time.
Some people can get away with fewer Mbps, and others need more. If 100Mbps doesn’t seem like a good fit for you, use the tool above to get a personalized recommendation. Or you can calculate the internet speed you need using the steps below.
Follow these tips as you determine your ideal internet speed
- Take a speed testto learn what speed you have right now.
- Get at least 25Mbps download speeds if you regularly use streaming services, Zoom, and other popular apps.
- Upgrade to a faster speed if you share your Wi-Fi with lots of users, use lots of Wi-Fi devices, and/or want to avoid excessive slowdowns or buffering.
- Don’t get gigabit internet unless you really need it—you can save money and still get fast speeds with a slower plan. The average household can get by just fine on half of a gigabit plan.
- Keep your router up-to-date to ensure your hardware meets the speed capabilities of the plan you’re paying for.
- Invest in a mesh router system or simply place your router in a central area in your home to make it easier for your Wi-Fi signal to reach devices.
Guide to understanding internet speeds
| Internet download speed | Works for | Ideal number of Wi-Fi users |
| 0–5Mbps | -Checking email -Streaming music on one device -Searching on Google |
1–2 people |
| 5–40Mbps | -Streaming video on one device -Video conferencing with Skype or FaceTime -Online gaming for one player |
3–4 people |
| 40–100Mbps | -Streaming HD video on a few devices -Multiplayer online gaming -Downloading large files |
5–7 people |
| 100–500Mbps | -Streaming video in UHD on multiple screens -Downloading files quickly -Gaming online for multiple players |
8–10 people |
| 500–1,000+Mbps | -Doing a lot of almost anything on numerous devices simultaneously | More than 10 people |
What is a fast internet speed?
Fast internet is a connection with speeds of 100Mbps and up.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband internet speed as 25Mbps for download and 3Mbps for upload speed. Although that’s enough speed for basic internet use, it’s actually a bit slow by today’s standards, since many internet service providers offer 100Mbps speeds as basic-level plans. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has advocated for raising the baseline definition of broadband speed to be 100Mbps.
On the high end, residential internet speeds can reach up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) of download speed, or 1,000Mbps. Several providers—including AT&T, Google Fiber, Verizon, Frontier, and Xfinity—offer multigigabit plans with speeds ranging from 2Gbps to 10Gbps.