How Much Bandwidth Do You Really Need?ByRaymond D. Matkowsky
The competition between internet service providers (ISPs) is very fierce these days. They all want your Dollar, Pound, or Euro. Some ISPs advertise 50 megabits, some 100 megabits and there is even one that advertises 940 megabits. Very few of them however tell you what you really need. I can only find one and I believe that one overstates what you really need. Besides, the human mind cannot tell the difference between 50 megabits and 940 megabits. Both happen too fast to comprehend.
What Can You Do with a Megabit?
Online usage is typically measured in megabits per second. This is really a big unit. In one hour you would be downloading 3600 megabits or 3.6 gigabits. With 3.6 gigabits you could download 1800 typical web pages, 3 million typical emails, spend 3.6 hours on social media, 50 hours on the radio or streaming audio, or stream 5.4 hours DVD quality video. However, most ISPs will not tell you this. They make their money selling you large packages.
I’ve had DSL internet for 17 or 18 years now. My business operates two computers pretty much simultaneously. Periodically, I have three. My general belief is that a business needs two megabits per device (computers, tablets, telephones, etc.) to operate satisfactorily. I also operate a website and upload about 25 pages a month. With most ISPs the upload speed is about 25% of your download speed. Mine is 0.4 megabits per second. I upload 90% of my pages in less than a second. The most complex pages I upload take about 15 seconds.
What Defines the Speed You Need?
I, of course, I define myself as a casual user. The speed at which I operate is no longer available to new customers. So, you have to see what ISPs in your area offer. It would be worth your while to check what’s available for each price range.
If you have a large number of transactions online you will need more bandwidth. Only you know how much. If you are a radiologist that transmits x-rays to other doctors, you need a large bump in bandwidth. Graphics use a great deal of bandwidth. But, remember that to receive any benefit, the person on the receiving end must also have an equal or greater bandwidth.
Provided Speeds are Never Guaranteed
There are, of course, negatives to having a low bandwidth. Speeds are never guaranteed. There are too many bottlenecks in the worldwide system that you will not have any control over. The slower the speed the more susceptible you are to these bottlenecks. The United States Federal Communication Commission considers cable providers and telephone companies fairly equal. However, one consideration with cable companies that may or may not be a factor is that line bandwidth includes all users including television and cable connected telephone usage. Telephone company infrastructure is wired in such a way that this is not a factor with them. Cable companies compensate for this with a higher theoretical bandwidth.
Be Proactive
Be proactive. Figure out what your present and future needs are and will be. Only then buy the minimum amount of bandwidth that exceeds what you can foresee the need for. You can always buy more in the future.
I present this as only a guide by which to start. Only you can decide what you need, not anyone else. From all of the advertising I have seen, most ISPs try to oversell you on quantities you don’t need. You would do well to keep this in mind.
If you have any further suggestions, do not keep it to yourself. Help your fellow readers!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions drop me a line at rdm@datastats.com.
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