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What broadband speed do you actually need?

Tell us how many people are in your home and what they do at the same time, and we’ll recommend a sensible minimum download speed — so you don’t overpay for speed you’ll never use, or struggle on a plan that’s too slow.

Last updated: · Written by The NetSorted team

What happens at the same time, at your busiest?

Add how many of each run together at peak (e.g. two 4K streams).

  • Browsing, email & socialLight everyday use.
  • SD video streamingStandard-definition video.
  • HD video streamingOne HD stream (e.g. 1080p).
  • 4K / UHD streamingOne Ultra-HD stream.
  • Video callsZoom / Teams / FaceTime.
  • Online gamingNeeds low latency more than speed; we add headroom.
  • Working from homeCloud apps, file sync, calls.
  • Large downloads / game updatesBig files, console/PC updates.

Info

Aim for around 10 Mbps

For light use across 2 people, a 10 Mbps plan is plenty.

Estimated peak demand: about 5 Mbps.

  • Baseline for 2 people: 4 Mbps.
  • Peak demand with 20% headroom: about 5 Mbps.

These figures are a guide while we verify per-activity needs against provider sources.

How the recommendation works

We start with a small background allowance per person, add up the demanding activities you say happen at the same time at your busiest, add a bit of headroom so the line isn’t maxed out, and round up to the next common plan speed. The per-activity figures are sensible guides while we verify them against provider sources.

Frequently asked questions

How much broadband speed does a typical household need?

For everyday use — browsing, a couple of HD streams and the odd video call — a plan of around 36–67 Mbps is usually comfortable. Households with several 4K streams, gaming and working from home at the same time benefit from 100 Mbps or more.

Is faster broadband always better?

Not necessarily. Beyond what your household actually uses at its busiest, extra speed makes little difference day to day. This calculator helps you avoid both under- and over-buying.

Does the number of devices matter?

It’s less about total devices and more about how many demanding things happen at the same time. Ten idle phones use very little; two simultaneous 4K streams use a lot.

Related

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