If you ever need a classic example of deceptive marketing, just look at what some ISPs say about gigabit internet service.
Cable companies would have you believe that speeds above 1 Gbps are essential for modern Internet use. A gigabit connection “lets you multitask,” Cox’s website proclaims, suggesting it’s important to “scroll through your Instagram feed on your phone while simultaneously streaming Netflix and surfing Amazon Prime on your computer. portable”. Similarly, Comcast recommends considering gigabit speeds if “your family likes to stream movies and TV shows while playing bandwidth-intensive games and downloading the latest apps on your smartphone.”
In order to keep this article family-friendly, the term I will use for these claims is “exaggeration.” Gigabit speeds are overkill for the vast majority of internet users, but with more and more people ditching cable TV and outfitting their homes for remote work, internet service providers have found a golden opportunity to push unnecessary upgrades with larger profit margins. It is therefore not surprising that they take advantage of the confusion of the gigabit Internet.
Why gigabit internet can be overkill
Consider the facts:
- Netflix recommends download speeds of 25 Mbps for 4K HDR video. That means you’d need 40 simultaneous streams – 10 times more than Netflix’s 4K plan even allows – to take full advantage of a gigabit connection.
- Zoom recommends speeds of 3.8 Mbps for 1080p video conferencing. Bandwidth would only become an issue if you had more than 263 video calls at the same time.
- Tidal reports a maximum bitrate of 9216 Kbps for master-quality audio streaming. You would have to stream to more than 108 devices at once to run out of bandwidth on a gigabit connection.
Gigabit Internet may also require additional hardware investment. If you have your own cable modem, you’ll need one with DOCSIS 3.1 support to get gigabit speeds from most providers. Some routers, including older Eero models, also don’t support gigabit speeds.
Anecdotally, I was pretty happy with Spectrum’s 200 Mbps speeds. When negotiating a lower price with the company a few years ago, I even declined their offer for a “free” 400mbps upgrade because I didn’t want to fall victim to a big spike in price once the promotional rate expires.
I’m writing this because I’ve heard from too many people who have been led to believe that faster speeds will eliminate buffering and other connection issues. The thing is, most of the time these issues can be solved with the same speeds on a better Wi-Fi router.
That said, there are scenarios where gigabit internet service makes sense. If you’re going to spend more, it should be for one of a few specific reasons:
Gigabit Rationale 1: You need faster download speeds
Oddly enough, the main reason to pay for gigabit internet has nothing to do with gigabit speeds. Instead, you might need a faster cable internet plan just to get better download speeds for backing up data or engaging in video calls. While download speeds may vary by cable internet provider, they tend to be much slower than what you get for download speeds, leading to more noticeable bottlenecks.
With Comcast, for example, a plan with 200 Mbps download speeds only offers 10 Mbps upload speeds. Just to double those download speeds to 20 Mbps, you have to upgrade to a much more expensive gigabit plan.
Unfortunately, this is a common problem with cable companies due to the way they have built their networks. So you will also find similar “asymmetrical” speeds on Spectrum and Cox. (They are also careful to hide this pitiful fact from new customers.)
But even as a ticket to faster downloads, gigabit service can still be overkill. I found that Spectrum’s 10 Mbps download speeds were sufficient for two simultaneous Zoom sessions. And if you have a fiber optic internet provider in your area, this issue probably doesn’t apply. Verizon and AT&T both offer equal upload and download speeds for their fiber service, so you can safely stick with sub-gigabit plans.
Gigabit justification 2: you have a specialized use case in mind
To see if I was missing something, I recently asked people on Twitter what real use cases exist for gigabit internet service, and got some interesting responses.
RIch DeMuro, KTLA tech reporter said he has to transfer huge video files daily for his TV broadcast work, so gigabit speeds come in handy. Nicholas De Leon of Consumer Reports said he likes being able to download PC and console games faster. A computer consultant named “Max” said it needs speeds to back up its customers’ computers every night.
These all sound like legitimate use cases, but they’re also pretty specific. They also assume that the server you are contacting also supports gigabit speeds, which is not always the case. (It becomes painfully clear every time my PlayStation 4 needs a major software update.)
Gigabit rationale 3: You want bragging rights
Even if you can’t think of a particular use for gigabit internet, maybe you just want the satisfaction that comes with having the biggest data pipe available. That way, if high-bandwidth applications emerge, you’ll be well-prepared and, on some level, establishing a market for those use cases in the first place.
As a tech enthusiast myself, I’m not going to deny anyone’s right to technological excess. Don’t kid yourself about exactly what you’re paying for.
This column originally appeared in Jared’s Advisorator newsletter. Sign up to get tech tips delivered to your inbox every week.
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