How are broadband speeds measured?
Broadband speeds are measured in 'megabits per second', often shortened to Mb Mbits p/s or Mbps. Bits are tiny units of data, with a megabit representing a million of them.
The higher the number of Mbps (megabits per second) you have, the speedier your online activity should be. A high number should mean that downloads complete more quickly, webpages load faster, streaming of music or videos begins more rapidly and any video calls or online games played should display smoothly.
How fast is 'superfast'?
We define superfast broadband as being 24Mbps or more.
How fast is your internet connection now?
Do a speed test
You can perform a quick speed check at Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test.
Or, search "broadband speed test" and follow the instructions.
Getting the most accurate results:
- connect with wires - For the most accurate results, your computer should be connected to your router using an Ethernet cable
- disconnect other wireless devices - Make sure no other devices or people use the broadband connection during the speed test
- for the best results, close all other programs and internet browsers running on your computer and stop any active downloads
Great, but what does that actually mean?
The table below gives a rough idea of how your connection speed will affect the time it takes to do tasks online:
| Internet connection speed | Time to load a typical web page | Time to download a typical 5 minute song | Streaming video quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56k dial-up modem | 14 seconds | 12 mins 30 secs | Low quality |
| 256k broadband | 3 seconds | 3 mins | |
| 512k broadband | 1.6 seconds | 1 min 30 secs | |
| 1Mbps broadband | 0.8 seconds | 41secs | |
| 2Mbps broadband | 0.4 seconds | 20 secs | Medium quality |
| 4Mbps broadband | 0.1 seconds | 5 secs | |
| 6Mbps broadband | Instant | 3.5 secs | |
| 8Mbps broadband | Instant | 2.5 secs | TV quality |
| 12Mbps broadband | Instant | 1 sec | |
| 24Mbps broadband | Instant | Instant | Superfast |
| 50Mbps broadband | Instant | Instant | |
| 100Mbps broadband | Instant | Instant | |
| +100Mbps broadband | Instant | Instant | Ultrafast |
If you want to complete more than one of these tasks at once, then you will need to add up how many Mbps it will take.
What speed will my household need?
17 Mbps - Ideal for browsing and downloading
- great for small households
- good for multiple devices online
- 30 mins to download an HD movie
- good to stream online TV
38 Mbps - Great for multi user downloading & streaming
- ideal for families with many devices
- better for multiple devices online
- 15 min to download an HD movie
- better to stream online TV
76 Mbps - Best for multi-user downloading & streaming
- ideal for speed freak families with many devices
- best for multiple devices online
- 8 min to download an HD movie
- the best to stream online TV
What can I do to improve my broadband speeds?
There are several practical things you can do to improve your broadband speed. See:
Ofcom - Improving your broadband speed
Cable.co.uk - How to make your broadband faster
How do I get fibre broadband?
Remember, if fibre broadband is available in your area speeds will not improve automatically. You will need to talk to your choice of internet service provider (ISP) and ask about taking out a fibre broadband contract.