When choosing a broadband package one of the most important things to consider is the speed you need from your service.
Broadband speed is measured in ‘megabits per second’ (usually shown as Mbps). Put simply, this is the number of megabits of data that can be downloaded by your connection every second. The higher the number, the faster your speed.
The speed of your package is less important for activities like general web browsing, email and online shopping, as they don’t involve downloading lots of data. Speed matters much more when it comes to streaming TV shows or movies, online gaming and making video calls, because all these services involve transferring lots of data online. Your broadband speed is also important if you’re working from home and need to access online tools like your company’s server or online systems.
The other factor to consider when choosing the speed of your package is the number of devices that will connected to broadband at the same time. We’re all spending more time online these days and for everyone in your household to get a great experience you’ll need a faster speed.
Finally, while the headline speed advertised for broadband packages tends to be the download speed (the speed at which data is transferred from the internet to your device), you should also look at the upload speed you’ll receive.
Your upload speed matters for activities where you’re transferring a lot of data to the internet, such as gaming and making video calls and could also be important if you’re working from home and need to send large files.