Why Gig Isn’t Too Big

Let’s Break It Down

Your internet connection is split among your users. So, in a very oversimplified example, if you have five users and an internet speed of 100 Mbps, they’ll each get 20 Mbps max at any given moment. This matters when you have people doing bandwidth-heavy activities simultaneously. It adds up fast. (To see how much bandwidth you have now, run this speed test.)

Now, we know what you’re thinking: “Our business is getting along just fine with what we have, thank you very much!” And that’s great. But it might not be entirely accurate. You might be moving way slower than you could or should be. You might be surprised to find out what everyday tasks require. Take a look—we’ve put together some estimates of the bandwidths of basic online activities, things that most businesses do daily:

Activity

1 Mbps

Basic email

1 Mbps

VoIP calls

1 Mbps

Web browsing

2 Mbps

Cloud backup

2 Mbps

Cloud computing

2 Mbps

Data transfer

2 Mbps

Online banking and bookkeeping

4 Mbps

HD video

5 Mbps

Cloud-based services

5 Mbps

File sharing

5 Mbps

Instant messaging

5 Mbps

Uploading photos

5 Mbps

Webinar streaming

8 Mbps

Videoconferencing

15 Mbps

Email w/ attachments

As you can see, it runs the gamut—from basic email browsing, which uses around 1 Mbps, to videoconferencing, which uses up to 8 Mbps, to sending/receiving emails with attachments, which requires up to 15 Mbps. We’ll say it again: It adds up quickly.

Can Your Internet Keep Up?

To estimate how much bandwidth your business may need at any given moment, multiply each of these online activities by the number of people who could be performing them simultaneously. Also consider how many different devices are connected at once. Most employees have smartphones nowadays, so we’re already up to two devices per person. A Gig doesn’t sound so crazy anymore, does it?

Gig Is Here

The good news is that Kinetic Business by Windstream has expanded its 1 Gbps fiber internet service to 100K businesses in just this year alone. This means you can get plenty of the speed and bandwidth you need today and you’re also set up to easily scale for whatever you might need in the future. Because when it comes to business internet, the numbers show that more really is better.

Visit Kinetic Business to learn how to get your network ready for whatever technology throws at it.