What is a good download speed?

The internet is a complex place and with so many different broadband choices and deals out there, it’s hard to know whether you’re getting what you’ve paid for. Here we explain what good upload and download speeds are.

Before we explain whether you’re speeds are what they should be, you need to find out what they are. This requires running a benchmark speed test. You can do this easily by going to and clicking ‘GO.’

Be sure to test your connection more than once and at different times of day before going to the bother of contacting your provider. Find out more about testing your broadband speed and connection.

If there are things you don’t understand, skip to our broadband speed jargon buster at the end. Also find the best broadband deals right now and how to get broadband without a landline.

What are good upload and download speeds?

There are multiple ways of looking at this. Firstly you should check whether you are getting the speeds advertised by your broadband provider or ISP (internet service provider).

For example, if you’re broadband package is supposed to give you a download speed of 100Mbps then you would be understandably upset if you’re getting a speed of 10Mbps.

Remember that the advertised speed is the peak speed so you possibly won’t ever reach that figure. However, you should expect to get a decent amount of it most of the time – IPSs may throttle speeds at busy times to ensure customers get a stable connection.

When you run a speed test on the site we linked to above, the results will include a grade so you can get a good idea of whether your speeds are good or not that way. For example, if you get 70 percent then only 30 percent of connections are better than yours.

What is the best broadband speed?

The internet speed that you need is dependent on what you use the internet for and how regularly it is used on a day-to-day basis. Regardless, the speed should take into consideration the number of people online at once.

On average, a good internet download speed should be above 25Mbps. This is based on a small family or office with a few people connecting to the internet. This level of speed can support online activities such as gaming, music downloads & general browsing online.

For a good upload speed, the average should be at least 3Mbps. This will support music streaming and video calling.

Bear in mind, this is the average download and upload speed for the UK but it could be different for other countries.

What internet speeds do I need for Netflix, Skype and gaming?

The other way of looking at whether you have good upload and download speeds is whether they are good enough to do various tasks. Let’s take a look at the recommended speed you need for things like streaming video and online gaming without buffering or lag. You can compare these with the results of your speed test.

Internet speed for Netflix

0.5Mbps – Required speed
1.5Mbps – Recommended speed
3.0Mbps – SD quality
5.0Mbps – HD quality
25Mbps – Ultra HD 4K quality

Internet speed for Skype (download/upload)

100kbps / 100kbps – Calling
300kbps / 300kbps – Video calling
500kbps / 500kbps – High-quality video calling
1.5Mbps / 1.5Mbps – HD quality video calling
2Mbps / 512kbps – Group video calling (up to 3 people)

Internet speed for YouTube

2.5Mbps – Recommended for non HD
4Mbps – Recommended for HD
15Mbps – Full HD

Internet speed for online gaming

What you’re looking for when it comes to gaming is a low ping. Generally, you want the ping to be lower than 100ms but ideally under 50ms if possible.

What is BT speed?

BT offers a range of broadband speeds to meet the needs of different homes. The BT standard broadband package offers an average speed of 10Mbps and is suitable for a small family of up to three people.

BT’s fibre broadband package is handy if you’re after faster and more reliable broadband. It offers speeds of up to 67Mbps. Lastly, is its full-fibre broadband which is useful for a large household that has several people online at the same time. Its speeds go up to as much as 900Mbps. Also, find out what’s the fastest broadband in the UK?