What is considered good speed for home internet and how can you test it?

File size calculations are straightforward, but it's more nebulous to figure out how much speed you need for streaming, working from home or similar. We can check the requirements pages for major services to get an idea. Netflix recommends at least 5 Mbps for 1080p streaming and 15 Mbps for 4K, while Disney+ recommends 5 Mbps for HD, 8 Mbps for live content and 25 Mbps for 4K UHD. Dolby Vision and similar HDR streams can require even more. Zoom says you need around 4 Mbps up and 3 Mbps down for 1080p video calls.

None of those requirements are burdensome on their own. However, unless you live alone, you also have to consider what else is happening in your home. A 50 Mbps connection is fine for one device streaming 4K video. But if you're watching Netflix at the same time your spouse is on a video call, your desktop PC is downloading game updates and your child is playing a game online, there's not much bandwidth to go around.

A good minimum for one or two people is 100 Mbps. If you have a larger family, work from home or regularly download (or upload) large files, 300 Mbps is a better target. That's enough for several people to do what they want without clashing. Consider 500 Mbps or above if you're a power user; when in doubt, get a little more speed than you think you'll need. HighSpeedInternet's quick quiz can help give you an idea.

Unfortunately, available speeds heavily depend on the ISPs in your area, so where you live plays a big role. In 2024, the FCC updated the baseline for "broadband" (which is a generic term for fast, always-on internet access) to be 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. Cable and fiber internet will thus offer at least these speeds, but if you're in a rural area, your only options might be 5G home internet or satellite connections like Starlink. These generally offer slower speeds and higher latency than cable or fiber, but are better than archaic DSL. When shopping for a new plan, check the Broadband Facts labels, which are Nutrition Facts-style labels now required on all mobile and home internet plans.