How fast should
my business
internet speed be?

As any business owner knows, it is critical to maintain a consistently high business internet speed (aka bandwidth) in order to support productivity. When business Wi-Fi speed is lacking, it can mean delays, lag, and service interruptions that interfere with basic tasks such as sending emails, videoconferencing, and downloading files or videos.

To ensure your customer and employee experience is not adversely impacted, it's important to pick a reliable online service plan and provider. As internet service packages are often priced according to speed, you'll want to determine the right business internet speed based on your requirements.

So, how fast does your business Wi-Fi speed actually need to be, and how does that compare to your current provider?

To find out your actual real-world business internet speed, you can use the Verizon Internet Speed Test. This free, user-friendly tool can quickly tell you how much bandwidth your devices are utilizing and how your internet connection measures up.

When measuring your current business internet, you'll want to get several readings from which to calculate your average speed. This means testing at different times on different days from different office locations and under different circumstances to get a complete picture. For example, you might test during the morning and afternoon, from behind closed doors or away from wireless routers, and using both wireless and wired connections.

Wired connections tend to offer faster speeds than wireless connections and more accurately and consistently reflect the amount of bandwidth your internet service provider offers. Look closely at the results from both connection types to help you get a better sense of how they compare and to spot and diagnose potential wireless network bottlenecks.

Having calculated your current average business internet speed, compare figures to your current online plan. Despite what internet service packages offer on paper, actual day-to-day business Wi-Fi speeds may be less than your business requires in practice.

There are many factors that can negatively impact wireless speeds, including:

• Multiple network users. This can cause line congestion. Note that your internet service speeds should be resilient enough to handle the resulting traffic. Using a robust, high-speed provider can help minimize these issues.
• Hardware equipment limitations. This could also be throttling internet speed. It's a common issue with older routers, laptops, and electronic devices that often need replacing to fix this problem. Check device manuals to ensure these gadgets are in line with current internet and network performance needs. For example, the most recent wireless protocol released is 802.11ax (also known as Wi-Fi 6), which can greatly increase network speeds and is quickly being adopted by a growing range of devices.
• The type of internet connection. For instance, cable internet may be prone to slow down when more people are online.

Other factors that can limit business internet speeds include:

• The physical layout of your office. If you're using Wi-Fi, walls, doors, and remotely positioned wireless routers can significantly reduce signal strength.
• Outdated networking and online connection software. Install any updates for operating systems, apps, and devices to minimize internet speed issues.
• Using a residential internet plan for your business. A business internet connection offers features to help increase your speed, including options custom-tailored to small businesses and medium-sized businesses.

Next, it's time to estimate how much internet your business actually needs. The following steps can help you better estimate the connection speed your business requires.

1. List all common online activities your business engages in that require internet access, and consider potential future tasks you may perform as well. Factor in possible added demands, such as the need to download or stream videos.
2. Use the reference list below to estimate how much bandwidth each activity commonly requires.
3. Determine how many people might perform these tasks simultaneously. Then, add a few more to this number as a cushion.
4. Multiply the number for each task in step two by the number you calculated in step three to determine the total bandwidth needed for each activity.
5. Add all totals from step four to get an estimated office speed requirement.