Is your internet speed too slow?

How important is a good internet connection? I am sure all of those having to place a string or what computer should I get questions. Back in the day, it was a huge jump from zero bits per second to a 2400 Baud modem. People and businesses were willing to pay a large sum to get connected because it opened up a new world of possibilities, ranging from not needing to go to the library so often and being able to sell and market products online. When and how often you paid for the next upgrade depended on your use case and the capabilities it provided. Then came analog loops in speed over 2400, 9600 and 14400bps and everyone jumped to one of these as a next step. During this period, the mid 90s, the T1 at 1.544Mbps was the imaginary godlike speed we all dreamed about but didn't have money to afford. This speed also predated time video conference calls and was limited to government and large business concerns that typically involved a dedicated screening room. This was also when the concept of data compression started to gain popularity as you could send more with less bits.

- JAMES HEIN

Stepping into this century, many people are on a reasonable speed, well past the old T1 speeds, and that's just on their mobile phones. They can have a video call with friends and stream good resolution movies without any problems. Consider the speed ranges of 10, 100 and 1000Mbps. Basic 4G should get you somewhere between 10 and 100Mbps and 5G can get you well over. Gbps (Giga bits per second) running, will get you around 250Mbps and at home 50-250Mbps. Note that this is for downloads. Uploads are typically a lot slower. It comes down to the provider's ability to serve the data, the pricing and what you needs are. For most people, 100Mbps is more than enough for a high speed high resolution streaming. An average running a business and taking orders doesn't need anything near that unless you are video sharing with your customer. So for most, upgrading from 100 to 1000Mbps is just for bragging rights or for size with multiple users sharing the same system with high data needs.