On Christmas Day, how many internet-ready devices will you own? Our home will host one television with cable, one Wii with Netflix streaming, five tablets, four Nintendo DSi systems, two laptops, one desktop computer, and an iPhone that shares our wireless connection when Bill is home.
If you found yourself singing as you read that last part, I don’t blame you because it is obvious that our home is being overrun by electronics and all we need is a partridge in a pear tree to top our wireless menagerie.
Until recently, I did not think a lot about how all those devices accessed the internet. I just enjoyed snuggling with my youngest daughter as we watched cartoons on Netflix, browsing Pinterest for recipes and lesson ideas, or battling Bowser with my son on the DSi. Then, the grumbling began and we noticed it was harder and harder to get connected to the internet.
Just like poor Stanley, we had a problem with our internet access. Too many devices. Not enough internet connectivity.
The facts about broadband and the average household
When I checked on the issue, we were operating a multi-device household on just 1 Mbps (megabit per second). Now, if you don’t speak tech-geek, you need to understand that Mbps is the measurement of speed by which information is transferred from the internet to your device. If you are wondering how much broadband speed is needed to perform a task, the FCC has a very helpful guide that completely explained our problem. At 1 Mbps, we had enough for one user on one device. ONE person… in a six person household.
In a family where four people will be using devices simultaneously for moderate use (defined by the FCC Household Broadband Guide as one person streaming video or gaming online in HD while the other perform basic tasks like email and social media), the home will need 6 Mbps to 15 Mbps in order for everyone to have fun without booting the other people offline. As you add more devices and higher demands, your need for Mbps increases.
So, on Christmas morning, how much speed will you need?
If you are feeling suddenly anxious and wondering if Christmas morning will bring much grumbling and fussing, check the Verizon FiOS plans for the estimated internet connection capability of homes with 15 Mbps to 500 Mbps. Get the bump you need before the first present is unwrapped and don’t let your holiday memories be hampered by slow devices.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Verizon. The opinions and text are all mine.
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