What exactly is internet speed?
The speed at which data travels to and from your device is called internet speed. This speed is typically measured in Kilobits per second (Kbps) or Megabits per second (Mbps). One megabit is equal to 1,024 kilobits, meaning that 1Mbps is a thousand times faster than 1.0 kilobits per second (Kbps).
A high-speed Internet connection, commonly known as broadband (because of its broad bandwidth), has minimum download speeds of 768 Kbps and upload speeds of 200 Kbps.
The fastest Internet today
Broadband internet from cable operators and telecom companies are some of the fastest, thanks to the use of multiple data channels to send and receive large amounts of information.
Factors affecting Internet speed
Factors that can affect internet speed include:
- The type of internet connection. Examples of Internet connections are 3G, 4G, mobile data, hotspot, dial-up internet, broadband, Digital Subscriber Line, cable, satellite, etc.
- The website itself may have a cap on downloads, uploads, and data streaming.
- Heavy traffic on a website can slow down the internet connection.
- The speed can vary based on device hardware and software.
- The number of devices connected can also affect the overall speed of the internet.
Testing the Internet Speed is Easy with Websites
You can use one of these websites and/or tools to determine your internet’s speed:
1) Speed test by Ookla
2) Internet Speed Test
3) Check out the Play Store on your device for a similar speed testing application
How internet speed is calculated
As soon as you press the test speed button, the application/website will look up a device’s IP address in the GeoIP database. With that information, it will determine the device’s location, which is then used to determine which servers are the closest to the device.
Most applications will identify about 5 nearby servers and ping them. They will choose the server that has the lowest result. The lowest result in this context refers to the server that takes the least amount of time to respond. This server will provide the most accurate speed result. All speed testing apps/ websites measure ‘ping’ to determine download and upload speeds.
Deciding on the Right Internet Speed
What will you use the Internet for? Recreation or work? How long do you intend to use it on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? Will you need to download high-resolution pictures or videos? Do you play video games? Are you always on social media, or do you surf the internet? Once you better understand your internet usage habits, it is easy to figure out how much bandwidth, and how fast an Internet speed you’ll need.