Many of us love spending our evenings after work and school, or our weekend, curled up on the couch enjoying a few hours of streaming. Enjoying a smooth, buffer-free streaming experience comes down to having the right internet speed.
For optimal streaming quality, Netflix recommends that the minimum speed for standard definition is 3 Mbps and 5 Mbps for high definition.
If you are a household of 1-2 people, such as a couple without children, or if your children have grown up and moved out, you will likely only need a fibre plan of 50/10 Mbps.
It is important to make sure you are on the minimum speed for streaming. Having the right amount of speed will help you avoid buffering, lagging, and interruptions. When you are winding down for the evening, the last thing you want to deal with is problems with your streaming. And on the other hand, you don’t want to be paying for more than you need!
If you are on a fixed wireless network, consider making the switch to a lower end fibre plan, such as fibre 50/10 Mbps. It will be more reliable than your wireless plan, and will deliver more consistent speeds.
It’s always helpful to run a broadband speed check to see what speeds you are currently reaching, and if you are on the right one for your needs and usage.
If you are in a household with multiple people streaming or gaming, using different devices at the same time, you will likely find that you need a faster internet connection. A faster internet speed ensures you’ll have a larger bandwidth – meaning that more devices can be connected to the internet at the same time, without affecting one another.
If you have multiple devices streaming shows at the same time, or playing games, you may want to consider getting fibre 300. This is a faster fibre speed than 50/10 Mbps and would be suitable for larger households with multiple people streaming at once.
If you are an avid streamer of 4K ultra HD video and gaming streaming, you may need to connect to an even faster speed. Fibre 900 supports 4K streaming and is a good option for large households with lots of gamers or people working from home.
Once you have decided which internet speed will best match your needs, be sure you jump on Broadband Compare to compare the different fibre broadband plans available to you. Comparing is an effective way to get the best deal possible for your needs, and avoid paying more than necessary. This simple habit can help unlock savings that will make a difference to your expenses and ease your pinched budget.
