What broadband speed do I need?
The right broadband speed depends on how many people use your connection, what they do online and how often they do it at the same time.
A home where one person browses, shops and watches the occasional film will have different needs from a busy household streaming in several rooms, gaming online and joining work calls at the same time.
The trick is to choose enough speed for your busiest moments, without paying for more than you are likely to use.
Broadband speed explained
Broadband speed is usually measured in megabits per second, written as Mbps. The higher the number, the more data your connection can carry each second.
A faster connection can help when:
Speed is only part of the picture, though. A fast broadband package cannot fix weak wifi in a particular room, and moving to the fastest package will not always solve buffering or dropouts.
How much speed does each online activity use?
Different activities place different demands on your connection.
| Online activity | What matters most |
| Browsing, email and online shopping | These use relatively little bandwidth |
| Music streaming | Usually light use, unless lots of devices are streaming at once |
| HD television and films | A steady download speed |
| 4K streaming | More download speed, especially with several streams at once |
| Video calls | Both download and upload speed, plus a stable connection |
| Online gaming | Low latency and a stable connection matter as much as raw speed |
| Downloading games and large files | Faster download speeds reduce waiting time |
| Uploading videos and cloud backups | Upload speed becomes more important |
As a useful reference, Netflix recommends at least 5Mbps for one Full HD stream and 15Mbps for one 4K stream. That does not mean a 15Mbps connection is enough for every home. Other people, devices, downloads and updates may be using the connection at the same time.
Start with what happens at the busiest time
Do not count every internet-connected device in your home and assume they all need a large share of the connection. A smart speaker sitting idle uses very little. A television streaming in 4K, a games console downloading an update and two laptops on video calls are a different matter.
Think about a typical busy evening:
That gives you a better starting point than the total number of devices alone.
Which Ogi speed is right for my home?
Ogi currently offers three main home broadband speeds. The examples below are a guide rather than a guarantee that one package will suit every household.
Ogi 150
Ogi 150 offers an average download speed of 150Mbps.
It is a sensible starting point for many smaller or moderately busy households using the internet for:
It can support several activities at once, but a busier home may benefit from more headroom during peak times.
Ogi 300
Ogi 300 offers an average download speed of 300Mbps.
It may suit a household where several people regularly use the internet at the same time, for example:
The extra capacity can make a difference when everyone wants to get online at once.
Ogi 1Gig
Ogi 1Gig offers an average download speed of 900Mbps.
It is designed for homes with the heaviest internet use, such as:
A gigabit-capable package can cut the time needed to download very large files. However, not every device can receive the full speed over wifi. The device, wifi technology, router position and distance from the router can all affect the speed you see.
What speed do I need for streaming?
Streaming services adjust picture quality according to the connection available. Higher-resolution video needs more bandwidth.
One 4K stream may not place much pressure on an Ogi full fibre package by itself. The bigger question is what else is happening at the same time.
If one person is watching a film, another is gaming and somebody else is on a video call, your home is using several parts of the connection at once. Homes that regularly stream on several televisions may find that extra capacity gives them more breathing room.
What speed do I need for gaming?
Online gaming itself does not always need a huge download speed. A stable connection and low latency are often more important because they affect how quickly the game responds.
Speed matters more when downloading a new game or a large update. Modern game files can be substantial, so a faster package can reduce the wait before you start playing.
For the most stable connection, connect a fixed console or gaming computer to your router using an Ethernet cable where practical. This removes wifi distance and interference from the connection between that device and the router.
What speed do I need to work from home?
Most emails, documents and standard video calls do not use enormous amounts of bandwidth. Upload speed and stability can matter just as much as download speed, particularly when you:
You also need to consider what everyone else at home is doing during working hours. One video call may be easy to support, but several calls alongside streaming, gaming and downloads place more demand on the connection.
Read our guide to choosing broadband speed for working from home for more detailed advice.
Download speed and upload speed
Download speed affects how quickly data reaches you. It matters when you stream programmes, load websites, download games or receive files.
Upload speed affects how quickly data travels from you to the internet. It matters during video calls, cloud backups, live streaming and large file uploads.
Most home broadband packages have a faster download speed than upload speed because households usually receive more data than they send. Check both figures if your work, hobbies or home business involve frequent uploads.
Does a faster package mean faster wifi?
Not automatically.
Your broadband speed is the speed delivered to your router. Wifi is the wireless connection between the router and your devices.
Wifi performance can be affected by:
If your connection works well near the router but struggles in another room, coverage is more likely to be the problem. Buying a faster package may not fix it.
Our guide to improving wifi speed and coverage at home will help you work out what is going wrong and what to try next.
Why does my speed test show a lower number?
A speed test on a phone or laptop measures the speed reaching that particular device. It does not always show the full speed arriving at your router.
Results can be affected by:
For the clearest result, connect a suitable computer directly to the main router using Ethernet, pause other heavy activity and run more than one test.
Read our guide to running an accurate broadband speed test for full instructions.
Should I choose the fastest broadband available?
Not necessarily. The best package is the one that comfortably supports your household when internet use is at its busiest.
Choose more capacity if several people regularly stream, game, download or work at the same time. A lower speed may be perfectly suitable if your use is lighter.
It is also worth checking:
Find the right Ogi speed
Ogi delivers full fibre broadband straight to the property, without using copper telephone wiring for the final connection.
Check postcode to see whether Ogi is available at your address and compare the packages you can order.
