What does Internet speed depends on?

The speed of your internet connection depends on many factors. They can be divided into three categories:

• Technological,
• Equipment,
• Offers.

Technology

Fiber optic connections stand out among various access technologies. They are the fastest, with the lowest latency and very stable. The speed reaches above 1 Gb/s. Cable TV providers also offer high-quality connections. In the case of mobile Internet, the best choice is 5G technology, where maximum speeds can exceed 1 Gb/s, and typical performances range from 100 to 300 Mb/s. If 5G is not available, you can use 4G LTE; with speeds typically in the order of several dozen Mbps. Speeds in 3G networks usually do not exceed several Mb/s. The problem in mobile networks is increased network load, especially in the evenings, which can significantly reduce speed because resources are shared among all users. The quality of the mobile connection is also influenced by weather conditions (rain and snow worsen the speed) and the distance from the transmitter (the closer, the better).

Equipment

As the speed of fixed-line connections increases, operators now offer Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 routers that enable speeds of over 500 Mb/s and 1 Gb/s, respectively. However, the speed depends on the distance of the user from the router and the number of walls and floors between them. The modernity of the router and its correct setting has a key impact on the results. To check whether the reason for the low speed is outdated equipment with an old Wi-Fi standard, it is worth conducting a speed test on a computer connected to the router by cable. If the results obtained on the cable are even several times higher, it is worth replacing the old router with a model with Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6.

In the case of mobile networks, to use 5G technology, you must have an appropriate phone or router, a SIM card and be within the range of the 5G network. In the case of Internet access offers based on mobile networks (Fixed Wireless Access), it is worth choosing home routers instead of portable ones, because larger devices have more antennas, which improves the connection quality. Operators often introduce new technologies first in more expensive tariffs or subscription offers, and only later in pre-paid offers.

Offer

Internet access offers vary between fixed and mobile operators. Cable operators (fiber optics, cable TV) have no limits on the volume of transmitted data, and the subscription price depends on the maximum speed offered in a given option. Even if you have a high-bandwidth fiber connection, the speed test result will not exceed the purchased speed, e.g. 300 Mb/s. In the case of mobile operators, offers usually have no speed limits, but they do have data volume limits. After exceeding a certain number of gigabytes, the speed is significantly reduced, which may prevent comfortable use of the Internet. Customers often confuse this with poor network quality.