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With so many broadband deals out there, it can be challenging to decide which one is best suited for your home. Wi-Fi speeds will significantly impact the performance of your connection and depend on your household’s internet usage.
If you’re unsure which broadband speed to pick when choosing a package, check out our guide below to avoid slow connections or paying for speeds you don’t need.
Understanding Broadband Speeds
Standard ADSL connections offer speeds of around 10-15 Mbps, enabling basic activities such as browsing, sending emails, and watching low-resolution videos. FFTC connections utilise fibre-optic cables in conjunction with a copper phone line, offering faster speeds of typically between 30-80 Mbps, which enables HD video streaming. It still suffers from reliability issues since copper can weaken the signal over distance.
Full-fibre, ultrafast broadband provides speeds of 100-1000 Mbps, supporting multiple devices that stream 4K video and smart devices throughout your home. Beyond that, gigabit broadband offers speeds over 1,000 Mbps for heavy usage with low latency and seamless performance across all your devices.
Assessing Household Usage and Determining the Ideal Speed
The right speed will depend on how you and your family use the internet. If you live alone and don’t work from home, you may only need speeds of 10-15 Mbps for browsing, social media, and HD streaming. Couples and small families with young children should be fine with 30-50 Mbps.
If you live in a larger household with remote working, streaming and gaming in 4K on several devices at the same time, you’ll need speeds of over 100 Mbps to avoid slowdowns. Keep in mind that online gaming doesn’t use much bandwidth, but it does require a low latency and stable connection. In contrast, video conferencing and file sharing for remote work will need faster upload speeds.
Avoiding Overpaying
Higher-speed plans will have higher monthly costs. Many UK customers make the mistake of selecting the fastest plans available, thinking it will guarantee better performance. However, if you don’t require those faster speeds, for instance, because you only live with your partner and neither of you works remotely, you’re essentially paying for excess capacity you won’t use.
You can avoid paying for extras and stick to what you need with broadband-only deals, reducing contract complexity. Compared with bundles that include TV and phone services, you’ll benefit from lower monthly costs while being able to stream content and make phone calls via your mobile or apps like WhatsApp.
Pick What Suits You
After assessing your lifestyle and its connection requirements, you’ll be able to make a choice that covers your household activities. By avoiding overspending on the fastest option available, you’ll get a better deal while ensuring the connection makes your life easier without frustrating slowdowns.