A guide to upload and download speeds

Shopping for a new internet packages means you may be overwhelmed with information about data, upload speed and download speed. But do you know your megabits from your megabytes, and why is it important for you to understand what it all means?

Here we break down the difference between upload and download speeds and explain how you can make the right decision about how many Mbps you really need.  

What’s the difference between upload and download speed?

Whenever you’re choosing a new internet package, you’ll browse information on upload and download speeds. Generally, you’ll find the more you pay for your internet, the quicker the speeds.

Both are measured in megabits per second (Mbps). The more Mbps, the quicker you’ll be able to see web pages, watch videos and download music.

Download and upload speeds do the opposite thing. The download speed indicates how quickly your device will receive data from the internet – such as videos and images, whereas the upload speed tells you the rate you can put things online.

Generally, the download speed will be higher than the upload speed – as most people won’t need to upload large amounts of data to the web. People who need a larger upload speed may be business owners or video content creators.

What different speeds can do

The download and upload speed you need depends on what you tend to use the internet for, how many people are using your connection, and how many devices you have.

Multiple-person households who watch lots of Netflix will benefit from a higher speed than a single-person household who only uses the web for browsing, for example. However, everyone’s speed needs are different.

Our Gigafast package, which has a download speed of 900Mbps, can download a film (approx. 900MB) in less than 8 seconds.

Which speed is right for you?

To figure out which speed profile is right for you, think about what your household’s internet habits.

If there are lots of people using your internet connection for watching videos and listening to music, you’d benefit from a package with a #Hulltrafast download speed.

To find out more about our #Hulltrafast packages, click here.