High speed internet is an essential expense for most U.S. households. However, it can be difficult to figure out what type of internet your usage requires. Here’s some information about how internet speed works and what package you might need for your family.

A Guide to High Speed Internet

What Is Mbps?

Mbps stands for megabits per second. It measures the upload and download speeds of your internet connection by telling you how many bits can be transferred every second. Any internet connection over 25 Mbps is considered a good speed, and anything over 200 Mbps is considered high speed internet.

Difference Between Upload & Download Speed

If you see a speed advertised with your internet package, this will be the download speed. The download speed measures how quickly your computer can access information from the internet, including loading websites, streaming, or downloading files. This is usually the most important measure for a family’s internet connection.

Upload speed measures how quickly you can upload content to the web. This includes attaching items to emails or uploading YouTube videos. Upload speed can be as much as 10 times slower than your download speed, and this is normal. You might have to search a little for your upload speed when looking at internet plans. For most households, the upload speed isn’t nearly as important as the download speed.

What Do You Need the Internet For?

Whether you need high speed internet depends on what you and your family commonly need the internet for. First, keep in mind how many users and devices in your home will be accessing the internet at a time. If you consider average usage, you can probably get by with 25 Mbps with only one or two people in your home. 100 Mbps will cover a household of three to four people, and higher speeds might be necessary for larger households that use a lot of data.

Checking your email and using the web can take up between one and 5 Mbps. In order to stream HD content, you’ll want internet speed between 15-25 Mbps. If you want to stream 4K content or play complex online games, you’ll probably need speeds of at least 40-100 Mbps. Before you switch to a new internet plan, monitor your family’s data usage to determine what package you need.


Looking for high speed internet? Check out TSC (Telephone Service Company), located in Wapakoneta, OH. They’re the region’s leader in telecommunication services, and they offer telephone services and high internet speeds at affordable rates. They’ve been in operation since 1995, and their lightning-fast connection speeds are unrivaled in the area. Visit their website or call (419) 739-2200 to speak with a customer service representative to get started today.