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Download vs Upload speed

In simple words, download speed is the rate at which data is transferred from the Internet to the local computer whereas upload speed is the rate at which data is transferred from local computer to the Internet. In general, internet connections are designed in such a way to download faster than upload since most of the online activities like live streaming, loading web pages involves download speed. It also gives the facility to download movies, songs and other documents quickly.

There are certain scenarios where the internet upload speed also matters. For example, video calls or conferencing, sending emails with large attachments, backing up data to online, uploading images and videos to social media, working on live cloud-hosted documents etc require adequate upload bandwidth. So, ultimately it depends on your usage patterns and priorities – whether it is faster upload or download speed that you require. Some ISPs provide symmetrical internet bandwidth where both upload and download speeds will be similar and some ISPs provide asymmetrical internet bandwidth where the speed will be more in one direction. You can also find your upload and download speed by performing an internet speed test.

On typical home broadbands, upload speeds are slower than download speeds. The reason is that the providers give priority to downloading speed as the majority of their customers are concerned about downloading content faster rather than uploading files. But there are broadbands which offer symmetrical broadband packages which means that both upload and download speeds are the same. However, it may not be available in all the locations or even the internet speed may not be sufficient to meet your requirements. If you live in such remote areas, purchase the fastest plan that fits into your monthly budget. Internet speed also depends on factors such as speeds offered in your area, the number of users and devices connected to the internet at the same time and the kind of activity undertaken by those users or devices. For example, browsing web pages or sending email requires less speed while streaming live HD videos and downloading requires a higher bandwidth.

Finally, the internet speed that you require depends on your needs. A broadband speed of 25 Mbps for download and 3 Mbps for upload is defined as reasonable internet speed. A connection with these speeds should meet your requirements provided it is a good quality connection with no interruptions or technical glitches. On the other hand, if the problem persists, you need to check with your service provider and get it sorted sooner.