What Internet Speed Do I Need to Work From Home?
You’re probably asking yourself, “What internet speed do I need to work from home?” Well, we’re glad you asked. Having the right speed and data package can make a huge difference in your work performance and productivity.
When we are setting up our home office we don’t always think about internet speed. We’re more focused on what desk we should get, how to find the comfiest chair, and getting the best deal on our computer.
In fact, internet speed is probably near the bottom of our list. However, it is an essential element of a successful work from home environment.
Related: How to Create a Work From Home Schedule
You will want to have the flexibility to do regular video conferences, download documents, send HD videos, send portfolio photos, and stream content, all without giving it a second thought. Not to mention all the other users in your household that want to get online too.
What is High-Speed Internet?
High-speed internet, also known as broadband, is defined as having the capability to send and receive superior voice, data, graphics, and video quality within FCC standards.
They state that broadband must have a download speed greater than 25 megabits per second (Mbps), and an upload speed greater than 3 Mbps.
These numbers reflect the bandwidth or rate at which data moves through your internet connection.
The Need for Internet Speed
The reason it is so important to have broadband nowadays is that we are adopting new smart devices all the time. Like stray pets we can’t abandon, we take on extra smartphones, tablets, smart appliances, smart wearables, smart music players and they all want access to the internet.
According to Cisco, we’ll be up to 3.6 devices, per user, by 2023. At that time 66% of the world’s population will be online, wifi speeds will triple, and 5G will make the internet 13 times faster.
The internet is getting crowded and internet providers are working overtime to keep up.
Hotspots vs. Home Internet
The area you live in may determine the kind of internet that you ultimately end up getting.
If you’re in a metropolitan area you’ll have an array of internet providers to choose from. Most of them offer unlimited data as well. You can find out more about this here.
For those of you living out in rural America you may find that you can’t seem to find a good internet provider. Even mediocre internet providers charge an arm and a leg for basic service.
You may want to look into getting a mobile hotspot either through your cell phone or a dedicated hotspot device like this Netgear 5G mobile hotspot. Mobile hotspots typically have high-speed internet data packages for multiple devices, often one or two wired devices, and may have easy corporate VPN configuration.
Additionally, they are way faster than satellite internet, often the only service available, out in the country.
Hotspot Considerations
When you’re signing up with your hotspot carrier they will ask you which data packages you want to sign up for.
For light work from home jobs, you may be able to get by with 50 GB.
For many people though it is just not enough. If you go over your data limit, your service will significantly slow down. For most people, 100 Gigabits of data is sufficient.
Home Internet Considerations
- Get a quality modem. A modem introduces the internet into your home via your internet service provider (ISP).
- Use a wifi router for multiple devices and users. A router broadcasts information from your modem and delivers it wirelessly to your devices.
- Use a signal Booster if you have dead zones. A booster will amplify the internet wifi signal within your house so that all your devices can get on the internet.
On The Internet, You Don’t Get Speeding Tickets…
Why not go as fast as you can, especially when it involves the needs of your home office.
So with all of this in mind, what internet speed do you need to work from home? Well, it may be better to get a little extra data and bandwidth.
The Internet is one of those things that once you have it set up, you don’t ever want to have to think about it again.
Talk with your internet provider about what is available in your area. Take our handy advice, get ample bandwidth, and it should be smooth sailing from here on out.
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