Josh G | Social Media & Content Lead
Most broadband providers shout about their download speeds, which are usually much faster than their upload speeds. But as we change the way we work, rest and play online, uploading is becoming more and more important.
Download, download, download. Until recently, it was the only internet speed people ever talked about. Upload speed, usually much lower, has always been seen as the poor relation. That’s because most of what we did online involved downloading data, rather than uploading it.
But with many of us now WFH, gaming online, making video calls and talking to Alexa, we’re uploading more than ever. That’s why some broadband providers, including Cuckoo, are now offering ‘symmetrical’ speeds (exactly the same upload and download speeds). Fasten your seatbelts and our handy guide will tell you more.
Upload speed is the rate at which data can travel from your device to the internet. And download speed is the rate at which data can travel the other way. So if you’re sharing your amazing-looking lunch on Instagram, you’re uploading. And if you’re watching a film on Netflix, you’re downloading. Handily, they’re both measured in Mbps (megabits per second).
It really depends on what you do online. The following speeds only apply when you’re the only one using the internet. If you live with other people, you can triple or quadruple them.
· 1-2Mbps - If you only use the internet for social media and the odd email
· 9-10Mbps - If you work from home
· 18-20Mbps - If your job involves sending big files and joining video meetings
· 18-20Mbps – If you’re a serious gamer seeking instant response with no freezing
· 30-40Mbps – If you enjoy high-quality streaming in 4k. And eventually, 8K
Of course, if you switch to Cuckoo full fibre broadband, you'll have all the upload speed you and your friends or family could possibly need, all of the time. As we explain below...
Other people are a big factor. If your kids are making TikTok’s and hosting live gaming streams in their bedrooms, your other half is zooming their mum and you’re trying to send a large presentation, you’ll need a pretty hefty upload speed to handle it all without delays. Basically, the more devices being used in your home, the higher the upload speed you’ll need.
For all kinds of reasons. If you WFH and/or send large files and rely on smooth, reliable video calls, a decent upload speed will make it happen much more quickly, making you more productive. And look more professional. Also, if you’re a competitive gamer who doesn’t like losing, you need the best possible reaction times to keep your nose in front. And for any influencers out there who want to live stream content in HD, you’ll need the fastest upload speed you can get to keep up.
Ping (or latency as it’s also known) is the actual time it takes for data to go from your keyboard to the screen and back. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms). A low ping rate is what you need when you’re uploading videos, streaming content or playing online games. Anything around 40-60ms or lower is good. Above 100ms and you’ll. Notice. The. Lag. When you drop an evil plan dance emote on some random in Fortnite, you want that dance emote dropped immediately.
To check what your ping rate is and what upload (and download) speeds you’re actually getting, just take a simple speed test. There are plenty of websites and apps to choose from. And many routers have tests built-in. Our easy-to-follow speed test guide will show you how.
Oh yes. And we’re talking a mighty 900Mbps rather than the feeble 30Mbps or whatever you’re getting (if you’re lucky) from your old part-copper cable connection. It’s internet chalk and cheese. Better still, if you want brilliantly fast upload and download speeds AND amazing reliability, switch to Cuckoo full fibre broadband
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