Rapidly advancing technology and an ever-growing number of devices in our homes has increased the need for greater Internet bandwidth. To determine the Internet speed that best aligns with the specific usage needs of you and your family, Great Plains Communications would like you to consider these questions.
How many devices are running on my Internet connection?
Before you answer, think of this scenario like a highway. The more traffic that is on the road, the more congested and slow the experience becomes. Internet traffic works the same way. The average household contains 5.7 wireless devices including smart phones, tablets, iPads, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and over the top streaming equipment. When multiple devices are running simultaneously, bandwidth is used up quickly and a traffic jam can occur, resulting in buffering and lag. Simply put, the more devices running, the more speed needed.
How do you use the Internet?
If you are a user who confines Internet usage to checking email and Facebook running only a laptop, you will be satisfied with a lower speed (5 Mbps or less). However, if there are several Internet activities happening in your household simultaneously such as on-line gaming, movie streaming, and online test-taking, you will need a much higher speed (30-50 Mbps). As these scenarios demonstrate; the level of activity occurring in the household determines the speed needed for maximum Internet performance. The following are recommended speed guidelines based on different usage scenarios.
Less than 5 Mbps:
- Very few connected devices
- Basic web surfing
5-10 Mbps
- Low number of connected devices
- Web surfing
- Occasional streaming
15-30 Mbps
- Moderate number of connected devices
- Basic web surfing
- Moderate HD streaming
- Moderate Online gaming
- Average sized downloads/uploads
50 Mbps
- Large number of connected devices
- Basic web surfing
- High level of streaming
- High level of online gaming traffic
- Large sized downloads/uploads
If you have questions over your Great Plains Communications Internet service, please call our Customer Response Center at 1-855-853-1483 and a representative would be happy to assist you.