Modern modems are capable of handling several gigabits per second, and many of our connections are going up to and even beyond a gigabit per second. So, does 100 megabits cut it anymore? Well, here we’re going to be digging into the world of ISP’s or Internet Service Providers, and so getting the basics of internet speeds is a pretty good place to start.
Let’s dive in. Nowadays, the average webpage is approaching 2 megabytes worth of data, which would take that 56K modem about 10 minutes to download. As a comparison, if you’re on a 100 megabit connection, it will take approximately zero seconds to load that page. Quite a change. But is that 100 megabits per second really necessary? I mean, with a 10-megabit-per-second connection, the webpage would still load in about one second.
However, there are a few things eating up internet traffic these days, like gaming, eCommerce, social media, but the real watch-word these days is streaming. Netflix, Hulu, SlingTV, YouTube, and other video streaming platforms account for a staggering amount of the internet traffic out there. They all deal with lots of data, but consider this, Netflix and YouTube account for more than a quarter of all web traffic worldwide.
Even with those massive HD video files, that 10 megabit per second connection could handle it. Netflix recommends 5 megabits per second to watch HD shows and movies. However, that Netflix stream isn’t the only thing running off that wifi router. You’ve got phones, laptops, security systems, video doorbells, smart light bulbs, and Lord only knows what else we all have connected to our wifi. And then you multiply that by how many people are in the home, each with their own devices, yeah, it all adds up.
So, why bother with 100 megabits per second, or a gigabit connection for that matter? Well, for one thing, by definition, your average usage won’t be your max usage, so you throw a 4K stream into the mix and things change immediately. Plus, there’s the delightful problem of congestion, especially on cable connections. During high traffic times, when everyone around you is also streaming and browsing and playing and whatever else, things can slow down considerably. That’s why ads for internet plans always say, “Up to,” whatever speed they’re advertising. There’s just no way you’ll always get those speeds.
So, is it fast? Yes, even by today’s standards, 100 megabits per second is fast, very fast even. Is it a necessity? Probably not. But, is it nice to have? It really, really is.