Is 100Mbps Enough for 2 People?
With the increased number of people connected to devices in a given home as well as the multiple household members browsing the internet and engaging in data-intensive activities such as video Cox Streming, internet speeds have emerged as an issue of concern. This often fuels the debate as to whether 100Mbps internet which was once considered super-fast a few years ago is still fast enough for a household of two people. Let's take a look.
What is 100Mbps Internet?
Internet speed is the data transfer rate with the standard unit being Megabits per second (Mbps). This is a measure of how much information can be transferred per second. An example speed of 100 Mbps means, in perfect conditions, 100 Megabits of data can be downloaded and uploaded in one second.
To give some perspective, here are some common online activities and the bandwidth required:
- Email: If the bandwidth is less than 1 Mbps.
- Web browsing: 5-20 users, 1-2 Mbps
- Streaming HD video: This means that the original bandwidth range of 5-8 Mbps is now achieved only half the distance, which means a reduced coverage area of 2.5-4 Mbps.
- Video conferencing: The bandwidth range that has been recommended for video-conferencing is 1-3 Mbps per participant.
- Online gaming: This will be at a range of 4-8 Mbps.
With this speed, you should get through all sorts of concurrent tasks having 1000 MB of bandwidth. However, there are some issues one needs to bear in mind.
Bandwidth Versus Speed
However, when it comes to the bandwidth, it means the maximum potential of the connection, but your actual connection rate can be different and even slower. Real-world speeds can also be attributed to the network congestion, server response time, the range as well as interference by the Wi-Fi signals, and the number of devices connected to the network.
Thus, even if your plan provides for, for instance, 100Mpbs of bandwidth, you could only experience about 80-90Mbps usually.
Frequency of Usage: As a couple
Can one make out what would be considered average internet consumption in a 2 people household? Here are some common scenarios:
- Email, Social Media sites, Web Browsing
- Streaming high-definition video on 1-2 devices
- Gaming, especially when playing videos on social media
- Watching videos and browsing simultaneously on a pc and a tablet
- Use of technology in remote working and schooling or distance learning
Most basic online activities, which are best enjoyed by two people, call for 5-30Mbps internet speeds. However, with the new 4K/Ultra HD content format and bandwidth-hungry Virtual Reality applications in the pipeline, usage will likely increase.
When looking at average and peak, 100Mbps is an okay amount for a two-person household to have a slight wiggle room. However, there are situations where one would prefer a higher speed of data transmission.
In some instances, you may require a bandwidth higher than 100Mbps, as explained in the following section.
While 100Mbps is generally sufficient for most needs, there are some cases where you may want faster speeds:
Multiple 4K/Ultra HD Video Streams: For each 4K stream, 25Mbps bandwidth is needed, therefore, if one desires to stream 4K video content on several devices, 100Mbps can be restrictive.
Gaming While Streaming: This simply means that if you have an online gamer and someone streaming ultra-high definition video at the same time, the total bandwidth consumption can easily go past 100 Mbps.
Smart Home Devices: This is because, with advanced features like HD security cameras, smart assistants, and more connected devices, additional bandwidth is needed even when recording or viewing the security camera feeds remotely.
Upload-Intensive Uses: Large file transfers or live streaming takes time to upload, which takes up this limited upload bandwidth, which is typically 5-40Mbps in most consumer Internet plans.
Future-Proofing: They are seeing a gradual year-over-year increase in bandwidth requirements. It is self-explanatory that getting faster speeds now will spare you the trouble of having to request another upgrade soon.
For these purposes, people would need data rates of up to 1Gbps for optimal functionalities of these gadgets.
Other Factors to Consider
Aside from bandwidth, reliability and consistency of your connection are also important:
- See usual latency or ping and speed variation during peak usage times
- Decide in favor of cable, DSL, or fiber connections depending on the existing physical infrastructure.
- Consider the strength of the W-Fi signal or the router capability if using wireless devices
Also pay attention if there are constant problems with the network of your internet provider during high traffic, which case can lead to congestion or throttling.
Finally, ensure that your internet service provider does not limit the amount of data that can be downloaded and the consequences that follow the use of the allowed amount of data. Some ISPs still offer even more restrictive plans that limit the usage to as little as 1TB per month, for instance, if you stream a lot of HD/UHD video content it is easy to go over this limit.
The Bottom Line
Hence for normal internet usage where you occasionally stream and browse on multiple devices at the same time, a common internet speed of 100mbps will suffice for 2 people most of the time. The average home is not yet demanding gigabit speeds and many are still only seeking speeds up to one gigabit per second. However, with 4K video and other new and growing technologies coming into play, the faster 200-500 Mbps plans offer the wiggle room to accommodate such bandwidth-heavy activities seamlessly.
Reflect on the current and upcoming needs of your household in terms of internet use, then opt for the most appropriate plan. Such aspects as maximum use time of the Internet, number of simultaneous connections/devices, and interest in data-intensive services should be assessed. So, it is advisable to choose an uncapped package from a service provider company that offers promised speeds most of the time. Thus, an Ocean connection of 100Mbps or more is sufficient to provide household connectivity today and for several years to come.
Ready to upgrade your internet experience? Call us now at +1 844-349-7575 to explore the best Cox Internet plans for your needs!