<html><body>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align:center" id="tag-2"><strong>What is download speed?</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">As you probably know, download speed is one of the most important specs used to measure how good an Internet connection is.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">It determines how fast your computer (or any other device) can receive data from the Internet. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">To be more specific:</p>

<blockquote>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Download speeds refer to the speed or the rate at which the data moves from the Internet to your device.</p>
</blockquote>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Download speeds (and upload speeds) are both measured in Megabits per second - Mbps. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">The higher the Mbps, the faster the speeds, and the better the connection.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="Downloading" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_2.jpg" style="display:block; height:360px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>Downloading</em></p>

<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align:center" id="tag-15"><strong>Why does download speed matter?</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Are you curious why many Internet service providers tend to give more priority to download speeds?</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Well, this is simply because most average Internet users spend much more time downloading than uploading. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">In actuality, an enormous portion of online activities that average Internet users regularly engage in involves downloading data. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="Download speed is crucial" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_3.jpg" style="display:block; height:427px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>Download speed is crucial</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Things like web browsing, gaming, video chatting, video conferencing, Google searching, listening to music, etc require downloading data and information.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Without a fast download speed, chances are you’ll access the Internet with interruption and slow loading.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">So troublesome, right?</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">To know <a href="https://gospeedcheck.com/article/what-is-an-acceptable-download-speed-559" target="_blank">what is an acceptable Internet download speed</a>, read on more!</p>

<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align:center" id="tag-29"><strong>What is an acceptable Internet download speed?</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Good download speeds are important for your Internet experiences, no matter whether you use a wireless connection or a wired connection.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">But what is a good download speed? </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">What is an acceptable Internet speed for downloading? </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Well, these are hard questions to answer. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">It seems impossible to say "what is a good download speed" for all users since each individual uses the Internet differently. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Yep, that's true.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="There is no exactly acceptable download speed" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_4.jpg" style="display:block; height:451px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>There is no exactly acceptable download speed</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Those who just use the Internet for basic things like checking emails, reading news, Google searching, etc do not need a fast Internet speed. </p>

<blockquote>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Speeds of about 5 Mbps might be enough to be considered "acceptable"</p>
</blockquote>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">But for ones who often do activities that are kind of bandwidth-heavy like downloading large files 5 Mbps is never enough. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">The download rates of around 5 Mbps are too slow speeds for them. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">What they need is, of course, a much faster speed than 5 Mbps.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="Internet activities affect the ideal download speed" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_5.jpg" style="display:block; height:427px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center">Internet activities affect the ideal download speed</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">In addition to the types of activities you do online, an acceptable Internet download speed is also determined by how many devices use the network. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">You will need more bandwidth and speed if your connection has multiple connected devices.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Overall, "an acceptable Internet download speed" depends on many factors.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Among them, the types of activities and the number of devices using the network matter the most. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Upcoming, we'll explore what acceptable download speeds are for different activities.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align:center" id="tag-55"><strong>Download speed requirements for different activities</strong></h2>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Gaming, video streaming, music streaming, video chatting, social media, or web surfing, have specific download speed requirements. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Inadequate speeds or slow Internet connections means that your Internet experiences will be affected significantly.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">For example, when you are streaming a favorite show on Netflix with slow download speeds, high chances are that you will encounter buffering. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">That's so annoying! </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Well, it's also so irritating if you make video calls using sluggish Internet speeds, which likely result in dropped calls,  frozen video, and poor audio.  </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">So, what Internet download speed connection do you need for gaming, streaming, video calling, web surfing, and more? </p>

<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify" id="tag-63"><strong>Web surfing</strong></h3>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Web surfing and social media scrolling don’t use much Internet bandwidth. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">They don’t require a fast connection, either.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">In general, the speed of 1 Mbps seems enough for this purpose. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">But it's worth emphasizing that while some websites mainly contain just text, some others have a lot of heavy images, videos, or other multimedia content.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="1 Mbps is quite enough for web surfing" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_6.jpg" style="display:block; height:427px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>1 Mbps is quite enough for web surfing</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">With 1 Mbps Internet speed, you can expect some sites to load in some seconds, but for some others, it might take a minute or even more to fully load. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Well, no one wants to wait that long. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">So, according to <a href="https://www.netspotapp.com/" rel="Nofollow" target="_blank">netspotapp.com</a>, a 10 Mbps Internet connection or faster is great for web surfing without waiting hours for the sites to finish loading.</p>

<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify" id="tag-77"><strong>Gaming</strong></h3>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Do all games require high-speed Internet? </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">No, not at all. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">In fact, you don't need super fast download speeds to enjoy your games. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">For gaming, a high download speed doesn't matter the most. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="Download speed requirement for gaming" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_7.jpg" style="display:block; height:360px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>Download speed requirement for gaming</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">More than that, a good ping rate determines whether you have smooth gaming experiences or not.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">A good Internet speed for playing online games depends on the types of games and consoles you choose to play. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">The minimum speed for some games like RPG or MMO games is quite low, while FPS games require much higher download speeds. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Following are details on minimum download speed, minimum upload speed, and especially ping rate for different game types and gaming consoles.</p>

<table class=" table table-bordered">
<thead><tr>
<th>Game system</th>
			<th>Min download speed</th>
			<th>Min upload speed</th>
			<th>Ping rate</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Play Station 4</td>
			<td>2 Mbps</td>
			<td>2 Mbps</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Xbox One</td>
			<td>3 Mbps</td>
			<td>0.5 Mbps</td>
			<td>150 ms or less</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nintendo Switch</td>
			<td>3 Mbps</td>
			<td>1 Mbps</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify" id="tag-114"><strong>Video streaming</strong></h3>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Streaming videos mainly involve downloading data. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">It uses a lot of download bandwidth. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">That's why streaming is considered one of the most common bandwidth-heavy activities. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="Streaming videos requires good download speed" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_8.jpg" style="display:block; height:424px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>Streaming videos requires good download speed</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Without an adequate download Internet speed, it seems impossible to watch movies and shows enjoyably.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Different streaming services have their own specific Internet requirements. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">The higher the video quality, the faster connection is required. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">As per minim.com, the recommended download speeds are as follows:</p>

<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">At least 3-4Mbps for standard definition (SD) video streaming</p>
	</li>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">5-8Mbps for high definition video streaming (HD Quality)</p>
	</li>
	<li dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">25Mbps for Ultra HD 4K video streaming. </p>
	</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Before streaming, it’s a good idea to run a quick <a href="https://gospeedcheck.com/article/download-speed-test-538" target="_blank">download speed test</a> to find out if your current connection speed is enough. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Note that these are just the minimum speeds. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Following are more details on Internet speed requirements for different streaming services.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify"><img alt="Internet requirements for streaming services" src="http://gospeedcheck.com/filemanager/data-images/What-is-an-acceptable-download-speed_9.jpg" style="display:block; height:1600px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:640px"></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>Internet requirements for streaming services</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Also read: <a href="https://gospeedcheck.com/article/why-are-upload-and-download-speeds-different-560" target="_blank">why are upload and download speeds different</a></p>

<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify" id="tag-144"><strong>Video calling and video conferencing</strong></h3>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Video calling and video conferencing involve both download and upload speeds.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Below are Internet requirements for making video calls on Skype and Zoom that you should know:</p>

<h4 dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify" id="tag-148"><strong>Zoom</strong></h4>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">The minimum upload and download speeds for one-on-one calling on Zoom are both 600 Kbps.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Also, the recommended speeds are 1.8 Mbps for both directions (downloading and uploading).</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">For group calling on Zoom, the required speeds are higher: </p>

<table class=" table table-bordered">
<thead><tr>
<th colspan="2">Minimum requirements</th>
			<th colspan="2">ecommended speeds</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center">Download</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">Upload</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">Download</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">Upload</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center">1 Mbps</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">800 Mbps</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">2 Mbps</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">3 Mbps</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>

<h4 dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify" id="tag-170"><strong>Skype</strong></h4>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">Below are the minimum and recommended speeds for simple video calling on Skype:</p>

<table class=" table table-bordered">
<thead><tr>
<th colspan="2">Minimum requirements</th>
			<th colspan="2">Recommended speeds</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center">Download</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">Upload</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">Download</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">Upload</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center">128 Kbps</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">128 Kbps</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">300 Kbps</td>
			<td style="text-align:center">300 Kbps</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center"><em>Download speed requirements for Skype</em></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">For calls with more participants and/or in higher video quality, the connection must be faster.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">To make a group video call with more than 7 participants, you will need at least 4 Mbps of download speed and 128 Kbps for upload speed. </p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align:justify">But you are sure to have better quality with 8 Mbps and 512 Kbps download and upload speeds, according to Skype.</p>
</body></html>