What broadband speed do I actually need?

Short answer: most households need somewhere between 30 and 100Mb. One person browsing and watching TV can manage on much less. A busy home with several people streaming in 4K at the same time is the main case for paying for more.

Broadband adverts push big numbers, like 500Mb or 1Gb. Those speeds are real, but plenty of homes would never notice the difference. This guide shows you how to work out what your household uses, so you do not pay for speed that sits idle.

First, what the numbers mean

Broadband speed is measured in megabits per second, written Mb, Mbps or Mbit/s. They all mean the same thing. A gigabit (1Gb) is 1,000Mb.

There are two speeds to know about:

Download speed is how fast things come to you: web pages, TV, films, game updates. This is the headline number in adverts.
Upload speed is how fast things go from you: your face on a video call, photos backing up to the cloud, files sent to work. It is usually much lower than download speed.

Ofcom’s three speed bands

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, groups broadband into three bands (source):

Band	Speed	Ofcom says it suits
Standard	Up to 30Mb	Basic browsing, email and standard video
Superfast	30Mb to 300Mb	Most everyday use, such as working from home, video calls and streaming
Ultrafast	300Mb or more	Homes where several people are online at once

Notice how wide the superfast band is. For most households, that is the band to aim for.

How much each activity uses

These are rough figures for one person doing one thing. Ofcom’s guide gives these as a rule of thumb (source):

Activity	Speed needed
Web browsing and music streaming	About 1Mb
A high-definition video call	About 10Mb
One person streaming Ultra HD (4K) video	About 30Mb
Several people streaming Ultra HD video	Around 300Mb

Streaming services publish their own figures, and they are often lower. Netflix, for example, recommends 5Mb or more for Full HD and 15Mb or more for 4K (source). Ofcom’s figures leave more headroom, which is sensible when other things are happening on the line at the same time.

Work out your household’s number

The trick is to think about your busiest moment, not an average day. That is usually a weekday evening, when everyone is home.

List what each person might be doing at that moment.
Use the table above to give each activity a speed.
Add them up.
Add some headroom, perhaps half as much again, for phones updating apps and smart devices in the background.

Example: two adults and a teenager. On a busy evening, one is watching a film in 4K (30Mb), one is on a video call (10Mb) and one is gaming and browsing (call it 10Mb). That adds up to about 50Mb. With headroom, around 75Mb would cover them comfortably.

Here is a quick guide by household:

Household	A sensible starting point
One or two people, browsing and HD streaming	30Mb to 70Mb
A family with several screens in use at once	70Mb to 150Mb
Several people streaming 4K, gaming and working from home	150Mb to 500Mb
Heavy users who download large files or games often	500Mb or more

These are starting points, not rules. If you rarely use more than one screen at a time, you can go lower.

Do not forget upload speed

If anyone in your home works from home, sends large files or makes a lot of video calls, upload speed matters as much as download speed. A poor upload speed is what makes you freeze on a call, even when everyone else looks fine.

Upload speeds vary a lot between types of connection. Full fibre usually offers much higher uploads than part-fibre lines. Our guide to full fibre vs “fibre” broadband explains the difference. When you compare deals, look for the upload figure as well as the download figure. It is often in the small print.

Why faster is not always better

Paying for more speed will not help if something else is holding you back. Common examples:

Your Wi-Fi. If the router is in a cupboard or the signal is weak upstairs, a faster line will not fix it. Try the steps in why is my Wi-Fi slow? first.
Older devices. An old laptop or TV may not be able to use very high speeds over Wi-Fi.
The service itself. A streaming service or game server may be the slow part, not your connection.

If your current speed feels slow, it is worth fixing these before you upgrade.

Check what you will really get

The speed in an advert is not a promise for your home. Before you sign up, providers that follow Ofcom’s speeds code of practice should give you a personalised estimate for your line, including the speed you can expect at busy times, and a minimum guaranteed speed (source).

Keep a note of that minimum guaranteed speed. Under the code, if your download speed falls below it, you have the right to leave your broadband contract, and any services bundled with it, without paying a penalty (source). If speeds drop, run a few tests on a device plugged into the router with a cable, and report the results to your provider in writing.

What if you cannot get a decent speed at all?

Some homes, mostly in rural areas, still struggle to get even basic speeds. Under the broadband Universal Service Obligation, you may be able to request a better connection if you cannot get a download speed of at least 10Mb and an upload speed of at least 1Mb. If your share of the cost of the upgrade is £3,400 or less, you will not have to pay. Requests go to BT, or KCOM if you live in the Hull area (source).

Ready to compare?

Once you know your number, compare deals at your own address. The speeds and prices on offer depend on where you live. If your contract is ending, our guide to switching with One Touch Switch explains how moving provider works. If money is tight, check whether you qualify for a social tariff.

Takeaway: add up what your household does on its busiest evening, add some headroom, and buy that. For most homes, a superfast deal in the 30Mb to 150Mb range is plenty.