Unlimited Internet: 3 quick tips for choosing the right speed

Dec 1, 2020

Northwestel has just launched unlimited Internet in seven communities, giving Northerners more options to stream and share with peace of mind. Even with unlimited data at your fingertips, it’s important to choose the Internet speed that’s right for you.

Imagine having an unlimited reservoir of water outside your house, connected by a hose. A small hose could bring in enough water to quickly fill the sink. But if someone was taking a shower while running the washing machine as you did the dishes, you would need a bigger hose to carry more water at the same time. Internet speeds are a lot like this hose. Even with unlimited monthly data, faster speeds bring more data into your house at the same time.

Here are three things to consider to help you choose the right Internet plan for you

How many devices will be using the Internet at once?

In the modern home, more and more things are connected to the Internet. Smartphones, TVs, laptops, tablets… even lightbulbs and thermostats! Just like the dishwasher and shower share your water capacity, one person on a zoom call and another streaming videos are sharing the same Internet capacity.

A 50 Mbps plan will usually be more than fine for two or three devices at once. But if the whole family is on at the same time, or if you have multiple smart-home devices running in the background, you will want to consider a higher speed package to ensure an optimum online experience.

Checking the weather or streaming in 4K?

Writing emails or checking the weather take very little Internet capacity. Binging the Mandalorian in 4K and live online gaming can take quite a lot more. Stuffing too much high-definition content into too small a hose can lead to buffering or delays in real time. It’s important to take stock of how much high-quality video streaming you’re looking to do at the same time.

How much do you create and share?

The average household downloads way more content than they upload. That’s why download speeds are much higher than upload speeds. But some of us need more capacity to upload our content to the cloud to share with friends or fans.

If you’re live streaming your World of Warcraft session on Twitch, or if you’re living with a burgeoning YouTube star, you should pay attention to the upload speed included in your Internet package to ensure your content gets out to your audience with no bottleneck.