Broadband providers throw a lot of Mbps numbers at you — here’s what they actually mean for daily use.

1 person, light use (browsing, email, one stream): 30-40 Mbps is plenty.

2-3 people, regular streaming, some WFH: 60-100 Mbps gives headroom without buffering.

Family household, multiple devices, 4K streaming, gaming: 150-300 Mbps keeps everything running smoothly at once.

Heavy households — gaming, uploading content, multiple remote workers: 500-900+ Mbps, especially valuable for the upload speed, not just download.

Why upload speed matters more than people think: Video calls, cloud backups, livestreaming, and online gaming all depend on upload speed. A package with high download but weak upload can still feel laggy on a Zoom call or during competitive gaming.

Rule of thumb: Count your devices and heaviest use case (not your lightest), then add a buffer. Full fibre packages generally give you much more reliable performance at peak times (evenings) compared to part-fibre or cable.

Not sure what’s realistic for your postcode? Run a quick coverage check to see live speeds and packages available at your address.