If you’re looking for a new internet plan, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans are unhappy with their current internet service. Some are disappointed in their speed while others aren’t happy with their price. Many are dealing with frequent outages or dissatisfied with their ISP’s customer service. There’s a good chance that you fall into at least one of those categories.
Still, finding a new internet plan isn’t easy. Figuring out what’s actually considered high-speed and how much speed and bandwidth you really need are complicated enough. To make matters even more confusing, numerous internet service providers are available, each of which offers multiple plans in various price ranges. If you’re as confused at this point as many people who are looking for better options, this guide will help you find an affordable high speed internet plan that’s right for you.
Understanding Speed and Bandwidth
One of the first steps in finding cost-effective high-speed internet is understanding speed and bandwidth. Bandwidth is the measure of the amount of data you can transfer at a time. Speed is how long it takes to transfer that data. The connection between the two is often compared to traffic on a highway. Bandwidth is basically the number of vehicles that can fit on a highway at any given time. Speed is how fast vehicles can travel when they’re on the highway.
Of course, if too many vehicles are in one stretch of a highway at the same time, traffic gets bogged down. That means the vehicles can’t go as fast. Something similar can happen with your internet. If too much data is being transferred at one time, it may not move as quickly, if it even moves at all. With a bigger highway, though, that same amount of traffic isn’t as likely to come to a standstill. In the same analogy, having more bandwidth means your internet can handle more data transfer, so it’ll work faster.
Knowing How Much Bandwidth You Need
That brings us to the next question: how much bandwidth do you need? That depends on how many people are in your home, how many connected devices you have, and what you use internet for. For only one or two people, a couple of connected devices, and light internet use, 10 to 50 Mbps may be plenty. On the other hand, if you have more people and connected devices in your home and your internet use is heavy, you may fare better with 250 Mbps or more. Experts say 250 Mbps is an excellent speed, even for multiple connected devices, 4K streaming, gaming, and working from home.
You may be able to get an idea of how much data you use versus how much bandwidth it consumes by looking at your current internet account. That’ll tell you the internet speed you need. It’ll also help you avoid paying more for speed you don’t need and ensure you get a plan that meet your expectations.
Choosing Your Connection Type
From there, consider types of internet connections. Fiber internet is the fastest option available right now, and it’s less prone to the slowdowns and outages you get with other connections. Cable is generally the next best choice. DSL tends to be much slower. If those aren’t available in your area, satellite internet may be your only option. Its speeds can vary based on several factors, but it’s not always reliable.
Though fiber is generally the most expensive option, it’s also considered the best. Affordable can be a subjective term. If you choose a cheap internet plan that can’t live up to your needs, you might get more frustration than your savings are worth.
Finding Your Internet Plan
When you’re looking for an internet plan, it’s important to think about speed and bandwidth, how much of them you need, and which types of connections are available to you. After determining all those factors, you can compare ISPs, the plans they offer, and their prices. Keep in mind that the cheapest plan isn’t necessarily the most cost-effective if it doesn’t give you internet that truly meets your needs.