Fiber broadband technology has changed the way users consume content online. Downloading and uploading any large file has become easier and faster. Users can stream content in full-HD and even 4K quality without facing buffering issues. But some people get confused about which broadband plan is apt or sufficient for them to stream content in high-quality. Being confused, they often end up taking a broadband plan which they don’t really need. That is why today, we will tell you about the minimum broadband internet speed that you require for streaming online to choose the right plan for yourself.
Minimum Speed that You Require for Streaming Online
The recommended speed for streaming anything in 480p standard definition (SD) is 3 Mbps. But if you want to stream content in 720p or 1080p, the minimum speed you require is 5 Mbps. Further, for streaming in 4K, the minimum speed recommended is 25 Mbps. However, one thing you should keep in mind is you will require a higher speed than what is mentioned above if there are multiple devices connected to the same network. This is because the speed gets distributed between the devices when connected to a single Wi-Fi network.
Let’s take a look at specific platforms and see what the minimum speed required for each of them is. Netflix is one of the most popular streaming platforms and has millions of subscribers in India. With Netflix, the minimum speed required for watching content seamlessly depends on video quality. For SD videos, the minimum speed recommended is 3 Mbps, 5 Mbps for HD videos, and 25 Mbps for streaming ultra HD videos. The Netflix Help Center suggests that 0.5 Mbps speed is enough to start the video, but streaming with speed lesser than 1.5 Mbps will lead to poor quality streaming.
With YouTube, the minimum speed required is a little lesser than compared to Netflix. For streaming content in SD quality, Google recommends that 1 Mbps downloading speed is enough. Full-HD videos require a minimum downloading speed of 4 Mbps, and users can watch ultra HD videos with a minimum speed of 15 Mbps.
But if it is a 4K live stream that you want to join, you will require a minimum broadband speed of 25 Mbps. This is what you should remember the next time you are choosing a broadband plan for yourself. Ideally, a 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps (if there are multiple devices in the network) plan is more than enough for streaming needs.
