Download Speeds Explained: What Mbps Actually Means for You
Is 100 Mbps fast? How long to download a movie? Here is what internet speeds really mean in practical terms.
Internet speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Note: megaBITS, not megaBYTES. There are 8 bits in a byte, so 100 Mbps = 12.5 megabytes per second. A 5 GB movie at 100 Mbps takes about 6.7 minutes, not the 50 seconds you might expect from dividing 5,000 by 100.
What Speed Do You Actually Need?
Email and browsing: 5-10 Mbps. HD video streaming: 10-25 Mbps per stream. 4K streaming: 25-50 Mbps per stream. Gaming: 25-50 Mbps (latency matters more than speed). Working from home with video calls: 25-50 Mbps. Family of 4 streaming simultaneously: 100-200 Mbps.
Why Your Speed Is Slower Than Advertised
ISPs advertise "up to" speeds, which is the maximum, not the average. WiFi is slower than wired connections. Distance from the router reduces WiFi speed. Network congestion during peak hours (7-11 PM) slows everyone. Run a speed test (fast.com) from a wired connection to see your true speed.