


So what speed is right for you? The best download and upload speeds for you depend on how you use the internet at home. General home internet speed recommendations What internet speed do I need? In fact, the desire for faster speeds in the form of a fiber connection is becoming more prevalent in American homes, as reported by the FCC, “In 2019 alone, fiber broadband networks became available to roughly 6.5 million additional homes, the largest one-year increase ever, with smaller providers accounting for 25% of these new fiber connections.” 2

Most of us have internet needs that go a bit beyond the basic, like joining in video conferences, working and learning from home and online gaming, with multiple users in our household trying to access all of that at once on many devices. The Federal Communications Commission 1 (FCC) recommends at least 25 Mbps of download speed, which will allow you to check your email, browse the internet and watch a video, but on one device at a time. The wrong choice can leave you stuck when you don’t have enough speed and the spinning “loading” wheel becomes a norm, or when you’ve got too much speed and you’re paying for much more than you need. If you’re shopping for a new internet service provider, you may find yourself asking what internet speed do I need or how many megabits per second (Mbps) do I need? Choosing the right Mbps for your internet speed needs is a big deal.
