Best Broadband Speed for Working From Home

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With the normalisation of work-from-home jobs, it's becoming increasingly important to have a fast, reliable internet connection. Many of the collaborative tasks you do online (e.g., video meetings and file transfers) require high speeds and anything less may result in you working inefficiently. The question is "How fast should fast be?" when working from home.

This article discusses the best broadband speed for working from home. We’ll cover factors you’ll need to consider when choosing a broadband plan, how to diagnose internet slow-down issues, and the internet resources needed for common work-from-home tasks. We'll also explain the concept of internet speed so you're better positioned to choose the right speed for your needs.

What’s the Best Broadband Speed for Working From Home?

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There's no universally agreed-upon broadband speed that's deemed best for working from home. The reason for this lack of standardisation is that no two remote workers are the same, and that goes double for their needs. While some people need internet speeds that can handle video calls, others are fine with a download speed that can display most web pages. 

That said, most work-from-home activities require a good internet speed, which begins at 50 Mbps and above. As will become clear in a subsequent section, your situation may require that you get more than you need.

Understanding Internet Speed

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Internet service providers offer subscription packages with varying download and upload speeds. Thus, an understanding of what internet speed is, and how it's measured, will be crucial when deciding the speed you need for remote work. 

Your chosen package's internet speed (e.g., 50 Mbps) relates to how much data you can transfer over a broadband connection within a specified time. Since we're dealing with machines, upload speeds and download speeds can be measured as fast as seconds or milliseconds, depending on the data's size. 

Computer data has different size measurements. The most well-known sizes (from smallest to largest) are bits, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes. When an internet service provider states that their package provides 50 Mbps internet speed, it means the package transfers 50 megabytes of data a second. ("Mbps" stands for "megabytes per second.")

However, you should know that you won’t always reach the speeds an internet provider says their package offers, as there's always a discrepancy.

Most Common Work-From-Home Activities That Require Broadband Speed

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When working from home, you'll need fast internet speeds to do these common remote work activities:

Web Browsing

If your job requires that you spend hours combing the web for information, you'll need a stable internet connection and fast internet speed to do your best work. You may also encounter websites that can’t handle slow internet speeds, posing a hindrance to your research efforts.

Chat and Email

Alone, sending emails and chat messages aren't data-intensive tasks. You'll be looking at file sizes no larger than kilobytes or a handful of megabytes at most. However, the same can't be said when uploading or downloading files in the hundreds of megabytes or gigabytes.  In such cases, your internet speed should be 10 Mbps at the minimum.

File Uploads and Downloads

Emails with large attachments aren't the only files remote workers transfer over the internet. If you work in a creative capacity, you'll likely be uploading and downloading gigabytes of data. The data may take the form of a video, a collection of raw photos, a software application, application files, etc. Shoot for at least 25 Mbps in internet speed.

Video Conferencing

If you work from home, you're likely a virtual meeting veteran. This means you've experienced all the issues that come with slow speeds, like frozen video, echoing, and out-of-sync audio. This task is data-intensive so you'll need all the speed you can get. That goes double when streaming meetings in 1080p format. Consider speeds of 40 Mbps and above.

Media Streaming

Many remote jobs require employees to learn on the job, which may entail streaming video tutorials online. Some jobs may not involve learning per se, but distilling a video into a text document (e.g., transcribing). Regardless, streaming media requires substantial internet resources, so a fast speed will be integral.

More Speed Considerations You Should Know

So you know that a stable connection and ultra-fast speeds make working from home easier. Still, how do you choose the right internet speed?

Internet Service Providers

The best broadband providers offer a range of internet speeds and subscription packages to fit every budget. They may also offer more than one internet connection type, which is necessary if one isn’t available in your area (e.g., fibre). Look over each company's offerings when choosing internet for your work-from-home set up.

It’s worth noting that some companies offer freebies as part of their deals. While tempting, you might need to commit to a long-term contract of at least a year to take advantage of the offer. Consider whether you’ll be working from home for at least 24 months when eyeing that free 4K TV that’s bundled with an internet plan.  

Number of Users in the Household

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It's easy to guesstimate how much internet speed you'll need when you live alone. However, the same isn't true when you share a household with several users who have multiple devices between them. When more than one person works remotely, not having enough internet speed may cause a slow internet connection for all.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to account for roughly 10 to 20 Mbps of internet bandwidth per user. So, if you live with four other people, internet connections with speeds of 40 Mbps or higher should suffice. 

You could also consider getting a package that offers unlimited data. That way, you won't have to worry about how much bandwidth each person uses or whether their usage causes slower speeds.

Number of Connected Devices

It's possible that your job requires you to connect more than one device at a time to the internet. You may be a stockbroker or software engineer that uses multiple monitors and laptops in their day-to-day work. Whatever the case, connecting many devices to the same network can make your internet slow. 

Where the above scenario is the case, consider getting broadband internet with speeds upwards of 30 Mbps. Faster speeds are always welcome but accounting for how many devices you’re working with can help you determine the internet package you subscribe to. 

Software Applications

Some apps consume more bandwidth than others. For example, a video conferencing tool like Zoom or Microsoft Teams is more likely to slow down your internet than a humble web-based calculator.

You need to pay attention to how the apps you rely on affect your internet. If an application is integral to your work, you’ll need to consider a subscription upgrade to make up the necessary bandwidth.

Internet Type Available in Your Area

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In the same way that there are many internet providers, there are also different types of internet connections. 

One example is digital subscriber line (DSL) internet, which connects users through a phone line and offers a modestly fast connection. DSL is one of the oldest internet connection types and also the slowest.

Another is cable-based internet. It involves transmitting data through TV cables and offers a faster download and upload speed than a DSL connection. This connection type is worth considering if you're working with multiple devices or need a decent amount of bandwidth. However, it doesn't come cheap.

Satellite internet provides the best connection for users who live in rural areas. It leverages satellite technology to transmit data to the farthest reaches of the world. The problem with this internet type is that it’s susceptible to issues during bad weather. Like cable internet, satellite internet connections can be pricey.

Fixed wireless is another option worth considering if you live in a rural area. This connection requires zero infrastructure (i.e., wires, cables, etc.) and instead provides connectivity through radio waves. With an antenna and receiver, you can send and receive data at speeds of up to 200 Mbps. Best of all, it’s also a more affordable option.

Finally there's fibre internet, the fastest of them all. When subscribed to a fibre internet plan, it's not unheard of to experience speeds as fast as 1 Gbps. This internet type is the best option for streaming video. It’s also excellent if you download large files.

While most internet providers offer fibre, not every area has coverage. You can use a fibre checker to check whether your area has fibre optic broadband.

Slow Broadband Speeds - Causes and Solutions

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When you work from home, you'll need to know how to diagnose Internet speed issues that arise. Here are the likely culprits behind a slow or poor internet connection:

Internet Activity

The first place to check when you're experiencing slow internet speeds is yourself. You can ask the following questions:

How many devices have you connected to the internet?
Do you upload large files regularly?
Does the slowdown happen during video calls? 
When you keep track of your internet activity, you may find that the tasks you do online may be responsible for you're slowing internet speeds.

The solution may be to either reduce the frequency with which you carry out the said tasks or upgrade to a faster internet type or subscription package.

Router Location

When did you place your router when it was installed? Its location may be the key to your experiencing faster or slower internet speeds.

You're likely to experience speed issues if you work too far away from your router or if it's placed within the vicinity of signal-blocking appliances (e.g., microwaves and air-conditioners).

You can fix this issue in numerous ways. Either move the router closer to your workspace or vice versa. Alternatively, you can move the router away from the offending appliance. Please note that it's best to keep your router elevated and in a central location within the house for best results.

Malware

There are numerous types of malicious software around the internet and each one can cause massive damage to your hardware or software. Your slow speeds may be the result of you inadvertently picking up a virus while surfing the web. 

You can check if your computer is infected by using an anti-virus software program. These applications can also remove the virus should they detect one.

Throttling

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Throttling occurs when your ISP deliberately slows down your internet speed. This problem is typical of subscription packages that have data caps and is likely to occur when you hit your data limit. Network congestion is another reason your ISP may throttle your internet speed.

Run a speed test to diagnose this issue. You can use an online speed tester to verify whether your internet meets your speed requirements. Also, check if you’ve hit your data limit. Your ISP will send you a message to that effect.

If you’re out of data, you might want to consider upgrading your package to one that doesn’t impose a data limit.

VPN

If your company uses a virtual private network (VPN), you may experience latency issues on rare occasions. There isn't much you can do besides bringing the issue to your company's network admin's attention.

Conclusion

When choosing an internet plan for home-based work, consider factors like the number of occupants in the house, the tasks you'll need it for, and your location.

If you experience slowed-down internet, look to your router's location, your internet activity, malware, or ISP throttling when diagnosing the issue.