Now is the perfect time to test your broadband speed and make sure you're really getting what you pay for.
BT, Sky, Virgin Media and many other internet service providers are now offering ever-faster broadband connections, with millions of homes now able to access the internet at speeds in excess of 900Mbps. With such high bandwidth, you can download a full HD film in under 40 seconds, which is more than 10 times faster than the UK average.
While that's impressive, such amazingly fast internet doesn't come cheap, with some gigabit plans costing well over £40 a month.
For example, BT charges £44.99 a month for its 900Mbps plan, which is more than £15 more expensive than the slower 150Mbps options. While faster is certainly better, millions of us may be overpaying for high speeds we don’t actually need.
In fact, according to a new report from Go.Compare, around 9.5 million UK households are paying for premium broadband that is probably too fast.
Unused speeds cost consumers £53 million every month – that's a whopping £637 million a year, according to the comparison site.
Most Brits are paying for the fastest broadband speeds, according to research. Around a third (34%) have speeds of more than 150 megabits per second (Mbps), but only a fifth (21%) of internet users are estimated to actually need such a high speed.
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Commenting on the findings, Matt Sanders, broadband expert at Go.Compare, said: “Our latest research shows that a significant proportion of the population are spending more on their internet than they need to, which is a real problem in this time of economic uncertainty.”
“Everyone's broadband needs are different, so it can be difficult to determine what speed you really need. Important factors include the number of people in your home and what you typically use the internet for. Some activities, like online gaming and 4K video streaming, require higher speeds to run smoothly, and these speeds can be reduced if multiple devices are using the internet at the same time.
“So if you live alone and only use the internet for basic tasks like checking email and shopping, you might be fine with relatively slow speeds. But if you have a family of four with multiple devices in your home, you might need faster speeds so everyone can use the internet at the same time without slowing down.”
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So what speeds do you really need?
If you live alone and just send a few emails, surf the web, and watch non-HD movies on Netflix, 36-50 Mbps will be enough for you.
If you add more people, connect more devices, watch 4K movies, or work from home, you'll need to bump your speed up to around 100 Mbps.
Gamers probably need the most speed, as many popular games take up over 50GB.
One of the best tips is to think of your broadband as a motorway: the more traffic it carries, the slower it gets. So those who frequently download large files need a lot of bandwidth – something like the 4 lanes of the M25.
If you're not sure how fast your Wi-Fi is, run a speed test and then analyze your usage. Unless you need really fast speeds, it's worth talking to your ISP about reducing your speed, which can save you money.
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
