What broadband do I need for streaming?
What broadband do I need for streaming?
Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are now entertainment staples, and streaming games is becoming popular. Is your broadband fast enough for streaming? Find out what speeds you need.
What is a good broadband speed for streaming?
A good broadband speed for streaming is at least 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) for TV services such as BBC iPlayer for standard streaming, or 2.8Mbps for HD quality. For Netflix, the minimum speed required is about 3Mbps for standard streaming and 5Mbps for HD. If it’s Ultra HD you’re after, you typically need at least 15Mbps for YouTube, while it’s 25Mbps for Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Watching movies and streaming TV
| Service | Needed for non HD | HD | Ultra HD |
| BBC iPlayer | 1.5 Mbps | 2.8 Mbps | Not available |
| Netflix | 3 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 25 Mbps |
| Amazon Prime Video | 0.9 Mbps | 3.5 Mbps | 25 Mbps |
| YouTube | 2.5 Mbps | 4 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
Streaming audio and music videos
Music is similar to TV and movies in that different services require different speeds.
| Service | Minimum internet speed (Normal quality) |
| Spotify (Mobile) | 0.96 Mbps |
| Spotify (Desktop) | 0.160 Mbps |
| Google Play Music | 0.320 Mbps |
| Apple Music (iTunes) | 0.256 Mbps |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | 0.5 Mbps |
Video calling services
Video calling has doubled during the coronavirus pandemic, with 71% of adult internet users making video calls at least once a week and four in 10 of us making video calls daily. Skype, Zoom and FaceTime are some of the most popular video-calling services. If you use one of these, you need to be aware of both your download and upload speeds. This is because your connection will be receiving and sending data at the same time. Below are the minimum download and upload speeds you’ll need:
| Type | Recommended download/upload speed |
| Skype (HD 1-1 video call) | 1.2 Mbps |
| Zoom HD group video call |
|
Online Gaming
Around 16% of UK adults play games online. If you’re one of them, you’ll know that gaming can put a strain on your broadband speed. Multiplayer games also require a faster upload speed, as well as the more widely used download speeds. 
- Fibre broadband – This provides a fast and stable internet connection, ideal for gamers.
- ADSL – You might find it more of a struggle with copper wire-based broadband, as this has more potential for lagging. If more people within your home are connected to your broadband, your speed will be shared across your household. The more people and more devices that are connected, the slower the speed you’ll see.
Here are the minimum download speeds required by the most popular consoles:
| Service | Minimum download speed |
| Xbox One | 3 Mbps |
| Playstation 4 | N/A (estimated 3 Mbps) |
| Nintendo Switch | 3 Mbps |
| Nintendo Wiii U | 1.5 Mbps |
| PC/Mac | 3-6 Mbps |
Game streaming is also growing in popularity, partly thanks to more households having access to superfast and ultrafast broadband. These are the download speeds for selected game streaming services:
| Service | Minimum Download Speed | Recommended Download Speed |
| PlayStation Remote Play | 15 Mbps | N/A |
| Google Stadia | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
| Shadow | 5 Mbps | 25 Mbps |
| Nvidia GeForce NOW | 15 Mbps | 25 Mbps |
If you want to stream games you’ll need the broadband speed to handle it, so you may need to upgrade. Currently, it’s estimated that 64% of households with broadband can stream games at the highest quality.
See more on how to get faster broadband and what broadband do I need for streaming?
What broadband speed do I have?
If you have a fibre broadband connection your broadband speed should be pretty close to those that you see advertised. (This is because the signal doesn’t weaken over distance with fibre cables.)
If you’re on standard ADSL broadband internet connectivity is delivered down the copper wires used by your existing phone line and speeds vary according to how far you live from your local telephone exchange. (If you live in some remote rural areas, your actual speed could be very different to those advertised.)
Want to check your broadband speed? Use our broadband speed test
Our broadband comparison service can help you find out what speeds and deals are available where you live.
How much data does streaming use?
Unless you have an unlimited broadband package, it’s worth noting that streaming TV, particularly HD programmes, could very quickly use up your monthly data limit.
For example, Netflix uses around 1GB of data for every hour of streaming, but this rises to 3GB if you’re streaming in HD and 7GB for ultra HD.
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