• Contact Us
  • Select a Location
    Close Location Selection

    Current Location:

    Let us know the location you'd like to browse.

    Select a Location
    OR

What internet speed do you need?

Whether you work from home, love to binge on Netflix or are an avid gamer, there’s a lot of demand on the internet to carry out your daily digital activities and hobbies. That’s why having a fast and reliable connection is so important. Knowing how much speed your household needs will depend on many factors. Learn how much internet speed is needed to support some of the most popular online activities.

What is a good internet speed?

Test your speed with our internet speed test tool. Tired of slow speeds? Experience the power of fiber with our gigabit home internet.

1 - 5 Mbps

  • Checking email​

  • Streaming music on a single device​

  • Browsing the web​

  • Video calls for single user​

  • Social networking

 

5 - 40 Mbps

  • Streaming video​

  • Video calls for single user​

  • Basic online gaming

 

 

 

 

 

40 - 100 Mbps

  • Streaming HD video on several devices​​

  • Large file downloads​

  • Operating smart home devices​

  • Virtual learning and working from home

 

100 - 300 Mbps

  • Competitive gaming​

  • Quick downloading of large files​

  • Virtual reality​

  • Heavy streaming and video calling simultaneously

 

 

300 - 500 Mbps

  • 4k and 8k UHD streaming on multiple devices​

  • Multiple gaming and virtual reality devices

 

 

 

 

 

500 - 1+Gbps

  • Whatever you feel like doing, and a lot of it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What internet speed do I need?

To stream music on platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, you'll usually need a stable connection of around 1-5 Mbps. However, if you're looking for uninterrupted playback, especially in higher-quality formats, higher speeds might suit you better.

For video streaming platforms like Netflix or YouTube, speed requirements can vary. SD, or Standard Definition videos, can run pretty smoothly on 3-5 Mbps, HD streaming requires 5 Mbps but does much better closer to 25 Mbps, and Ultra-High Definition (UHD, 4K) demands at least 25 Mbps.

For general video calling on platforms like Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet, 1-5 Mbps should be okay for one-on-one calls. If you're doing group calls or require HD-quality video for doing presentations and such, you might want to bump that up to 5-25 Mbps.

If you're in a profession that deals with webinars or virtual events, where high-definition clarity is crucial, you'll want speeds of at least 10-40 Mbps.

For casual gamers, a speed of 15-30 Mbps should be fine for a good experience. However, if you're into competitive online gaming like first-person shooters where real-time action is paramount, you'll need a connection of at least 50-100 Mbps.

Most modern homes require a 100+ Mbps internet connection. With various connected smart devices like thermostats and security cameras as well as standard streaming and gaming activities, the more the merrier. While 50-75 Mbps would be suitable for keeping everything connected, the number of users, time of day, whether you're on Wifi or Ethernet, etc., can make a big difference.

Learn how Cox can enhance your connected experience

Panoramic Wifi

Super fast wifi with wall-to-wall coverage for your entire home.

Improving your wifi

Solve the most common wifi connection problems.

Gigabit Internet

Our internet service with speeds up to 1000 Mbps (1 Gig). View gigabit internet.