How Much Broadband Speed Do Americans Need?

A Q&A with John Horrigan, senior fellow at the Technology Policy Institute.

When asked, "How does broadband speed impact the things people can do online?" Horrigan said, "How much speed you need, and how you experience that speed, relies on multiple factors, including the applications and the number of people online. The devices being used also affect speed: the computer, router, and even broader infrastructure available to deliver the connection can all impact speed and user experience. Not all online activities require the same speeds: For a group video call, 2.5 Mbps speeds suffice, while streaming videos may require 25 Mbps for high-definition quality. As a result, a single-person household may be fine with an internet service provider’s (ISP’s) basic service offering. But many factors affect even the highest internet speeds."

When asked, "What has the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about broadband speeds?" Horrigan said, "The pandemic has caused a large increase in home internet use....Many applications that people have relied upon during the pandemic—such as videoconferencing platforms or streaming video—do not necessarily need fast speeds to function, but when multiple people in a household need a video application, network performance may suffer. Additionally, those reliant on only smartphones for access, beyond worrying about data limits, may find that some video applications do not function well. This phenomenon may be significant because some 17% of Americans are “smartphone only,” including 26% of low-income households. For low-income students who have only smartphones for remote classroom access, the limitations of these devices for learning have become quickly evident."