Why is upload speed and download speed important?

Speed is measured by how many megabits your connection can transfer per second (Mbps). But it can be easy to forget that broadband is a two-way street and data moves in both directions – uploading and downloading Mbps from and to your device constantly. That’s why both matter. 

For example, when you’re desperate to show your dinner on Instagram #ratemyplate or trying to connect to your weekly team meeting on Zoom, the last thing you need is an unbearably slow upload speed. 

The same thing goes for when you’re trying to catch up on the latest TV show on Netflix, or surrendering to buying that jumper you’ve been eyeing up for weeks – lagging download speed might just send you over the edge.

You need speed in both directions, and here’s why…

Why should I care about download speeds? 

Most of our digital experience relies on this, and without fast download speeds you’d find it very hard to:

• Stream TV shows or movies 
• Catch up on your friends’ holiday pics on social media 
• Watch your favourite YouTuber’s latest video
• Listen to your Spotify 2022 music roundup 
• Find those early Christmas shopping deals. 

Why is upload speed critical?

Although online activities generally require more download speed, upload speed is still important and shouldn’t be forgotten. Without it, you would be faced with the dreaded buffering wheel when you’re trying to:

• Deliver an important team briefing on a video call
• Beat your rivals on a live game 
• Secure your data online with backups
• Send a big proposal document via email.

Perhaps you’ve noticed your movies downloading quickly, but when it comes to uploading a document into your Google Drive, your broadband can’t seem to hack it. That could be because many broadband providers focus on download bandwidth, rather than giving upload speed the respect it deserves. 

You shouldn’t have to compromise on one for the other. That’s why we guarantee the same reliable upload and download speeds for all of our packages – from BeFibre Classic to BeFibre Elite. 

If you think your connection isn’t up to scratch, take our speed test and get in touch with our team to experience broadband as it should be. 

Enter your postcode to check if BeFibre is available in your area, here.

All references to how many times faster our broadband service is, depends on you being able to access ‘superfast’ type broadband services of 70Mbps (or less) and selecting one of our packages at the advertised speed. Speeds shown may be affected based on the placement of the router in your property or the device you are using.