Understanding Internet Upload and Download Speeds – Why Both Matter?
Does it sometimes take ages to send a file to your friend but you receive it in an instant from them? Or does your streaming video buffer, but video-calling over the same connection is seamless?
I’m sure you’re nodding your head right now. This happens because either the download or upload speeds have dipped. Most people may not know that upload and download speeds play a major role in our online experience.
Below, I explain everything you need to know about internet upload and download speeds. And I also offer some tips on how you can optimize them. So, let’s start:
What are Internet Upload Speeds?
The upload speed refers to how fast you can upload information on the internet. Online activities, for instance, sending emails or messages, uploading a file, photo, or video, playing an online game, and more require stable upload speeds.
What are Good Upload Speeds?
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a new benchmark for ISPs. According to the commission, ISPs must ensure a minimum of 20Mbps upload speeds. And if your internet connection meets or exceeds the mentioned speeds, then you should easily get done with tasks that require a reliable upload speed.
What are Internet Download Speeds?
The download speed refers to how quickly you can download information from the internet. Streaming video on YouTube, playing music on Spotify, sending a file, and other online activities require good download speeds.
What are Good Download Speeds?
The FCC has set the benchmark at 100Mbps as download speeds for ISPs to meet or exceed in their internet plans.
Download speeds are usually greater than upload speeds, simply because a large part of our online experience relates to download speeds. Also, downloading consumes more data than uploading, which is why most ISPs offer higher download speeds.
The Difference Between Upload and Download Speeds:
| Download Speeds | Upload Speeds |
|---|---|
| Determine how quickly your internet downloads data on your device. | Determines how quickly your internet uploads data from your device. |
| Basic functions that require a good download speed are listening to music, and downloading a file or a movie. | Sending emails, posting pictures, video calling on different platforms, and similar functions require stable upload speeds. |
| Most internet connections except fiber internet, such as cable, DSL, or satellite have higher download speeds. | Upload speeds are generally not advertised by most ISPs. |
| 100Mbps of download speeds are generally considered good. | 25Mbps of upload speeds are generally considered good. |
Why Download and Upload Speeds Matter?
Collectively, upload and download speeds make up our online experience. No one wants their movie viewing to get stuck in the middle of an interesting plot, to play an online game with extreme lag, or to get Zoom calls freeze in the middle of an important meeting. Even if one of the upload or download speeds dips, it may ruin our overall online experience.
For instance, as a gamer, you understand the importance of having a good internet speed, in terms of download and upload: Downloading because of how fast data gets transferred to your device from the service and uploading because of how fast data gets transferred from your device to the server. In this case, if one of the speeds (either download or upload) drops significantly, then it affects the whole gameplay.
Overall, there should be a balance between download and upload speeds for a seamless online experience!
Bonus Section: Tips to Increase Your Upload and Download Speeds:
- Get a Fiber Internet Connection: A fiber internet connection is one of the surest ways to get more upload and download speeds. For instance, AT&T Internet offers a fiber internet connection with symmetrical speeds, i.e., the same upload and download speeds. Fiber internet plans may be costly, but they can provide much greater speeds than other connections.
- Use a Wired Connection: A wired connection can directly connect your device to the internet via a LAN cable. That way, the connection from the router to the device doesn’t get disrupted, as it does with wireless connections. So, using a wired connection may increase your internet speed significantly.
- Restart Your Router: Restarting your router is a simple, yet effective way to get fairly more speeds. The cache stored in the router is deleted when the device is restarted. With an empty cache storage, it may offer better internet speeds.