These days, having a reliable and fast internet connection for your home or business is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity. The trouble is, with so many available internet providers and plans to choose from, it can be hard for the average person to make an informed choice. However, we here at GVEC Internet believe that users should have the internet plan that best suits their needs. So, we decided to put together this comprehensive guide on how to choose the perfect internet plan for your needs.
Understanding Internet Bandwidth
When you go shopping for internet service, you’ll notice that service plans advertise their speed using two measurements. One is Mbps, and the other is Gbps. Mbps, or megabits per second, is the smaller of the two-speed measurements.
Gbps, or gigabits per second, is the larger measurement. To compare plans interchangeably, you need to know that one Gbps is equivalent to 1,000 Mbps. Understanding that makes it possible to weigh your options with no confusion over how much speed each plan offers relative to the another.
Internet bandwidth is like the flow rate of a water pipe. The higher the flow rate, the faster the water travels through it and the more fixtures it can serve at once. Therefore, to choose the right internet plan using their speed ratings, you must know approximately how many people will be using your connection and what they’ll use it for.
The Bandwidth Necessary for Common Online Activities
To help you come up with a reasonable estimate of your needs, you’ll need to know how much bandwidth the most common online activities consume. Then, you can simply add up the highest-bandwidth activities you expect the users of your connection to use simultaneously. That will tell you how much speed you’ll need from your internet connection.
The following are the approximate bandwidth requirements for everyday internet activities:
- Web browsing: 1-5 Mbps
- Video calls: 3-5 Mbps
- Online gaming: 5-10 Mbps
- HD video streaming: 5-10 Mbps
- 4k video streaming: 25-50 Mbps
Our Available Internet Speed Tiers
Our available internet plans, like those of other providers, come in multiple maximum speeds. Those speeds let you know how fast the connection provided by each plan is capable of going. Bear in mind that the real-world speeds may vary due to excess traffic or routing conditions across the your location.
So, your best bet is to choose a plan that offers a maximum speed that exceeds your projected needs by a little bit, so you won’t have to worry about internet congestion giving you any trouble. Our wireless and fiber residential speed tiers include:
- Up to 5 Mbps
- Up to 10 Mbps
- Up to 16 Mbps
- Up to 25 Mbps
- Up to 250 Mbps
- Up to 500 Mbps
- Up to 1 Gbps
If you need an internet connection for your business, you’ll need to choose between our business internet speed tiers. For businesses, we offer:
- Up to 6 Mbps
- Up to 8 Mbps
- Up to 10 Mbps
- Up to 16 Mbps
- Up to 25 Mbps
- Up to 250 Mbps
- Up to 500 Mbps
- Up to 1 Gbps
Your Trusted Local Internet Service Provider
No matter which internet plan you ultimately choose, you can count on GVEC Internet to offer you a reliable internet connection for your home with no data caps and 24/7 technical support. We’ve served the internet needs of homeowners and businesses throughout the Guadalupe Valley since the 1990s, offering cutting-edge service at fair prices.
We even offer enterprise-grade internet services at speeds of up to 10 Gbps on our wholly-owned fiber optic network. So, when you need a fast and stable connection to the internet for your home or business in the Guadalupe Valley, contact GVEC Internet, and we’ll see that you get exactly the service plan you need. And be sure to visit our Internet Availability Map to see if new, even faster Wireless and Fiber speeds are available at your location.
