How Fast Is 100 Mbps Today? [Ability and Efficiency]
In 2023, a connection speed of 100 Mbps is considered fast. It’s also significantly faster than the typical US internet connection.
Downloading small files quickly, watching multiple 4K streams in parallel, playing online games, and controlling smart-home devices are all possible with 100 Mbps internet.
In addition, up to four people can use the link at once without any problems. However, if your needs exceed that threshold, 100 Mbps connectivity won’t cut it.
But are everyone’s needs met by 100 Mbps? How many gadgets can it handle at once? After using Cox’s Essential 100 package for a month, I recorded my observations in the following report.
How Fast is 100 Mbps?
Data-heavy tasks are no problem for an internet connection of 100 Mbps. However, that is task dependent.
This plan allows for between nearly 150 and 250 simultaneous social media browser connections, for example. However, this drops to between 16 and 29 devices when using Amazon Prime Video.
See if your planned activity requires more than 100 Mbps of bandwidth by consulting the table below.
| Online Activities | Minimum Required Upload Rate | Upload Rate Prerequisites | Does it work with 100 Mbps? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media (Facebook/Twitter /Instagram/Tiktok) |
500 – 2000 Kbps | 200 – 300 Kbps | Yes |
| Messaging & Email | 100 Kbps | 12.5 Kbps | Yes |
| Web Browsing | 100 – 1000 Kbps | 12.5 – 125 Kbps | Yes |
| Google Meet Voice Call |
100 Kbps | 12.5 Kbps | Yes |
| Google Meet Video Call |
2-3 Mbps | 250-300 Kbps | Yes |
| Skype HD Call | 1-3 Mbps | 125 – 300 Kbps | Yes |
| Skype Group HD Call | 4-5 Mbps | 500 – 600 Kbps | Yes |
| Zoom HD Call | 3.5-4 Mbps | 400 – 500 Kbps | Yes |
| Zoom Group HD Call | 4-5 Mbps | 500 – 600 Kbps | Yes |
| Watching YouTube Videos [480p] | 500 – 1000 Kbps | 200 Kbps | Yes |
| Watching YouTube Videos [1080p] | 2-3 Mbps | 250 – 300 Kbps | Yes |
| Streaming Netflix [720p] | 1.5-2 Mbps | 250 Kbps | Yes |
| Streaming Netflix [1080p] | 5-7 Mbps | 600-800 Kbps | Yes |
| Online Gaming | 3-4 Mbps | 300 – 400 Kbps | Yes |
| Streaming Audio Music | 400 Kbps | 50 Kbps | Yes |
Can You Play Games at 100 Mbps?
It’s fine for gaming, yes. In reality, a speed of 10 Mbps or higher is sufficient for online gaming. With 100 Mbps, you can have 66 gaming sessions, or about 10 people can play online at once.
If you play over the course of multiple sessions, there will be interruptions. Invest in a high-quality router if you want to play games with low latency.
With a file size of 150 GB, high-end games like BattleField 2042 take nearly 3.5 hours to download in their entirety.
That’s not bad at all. Similarly, low- and medium-quality games are both available for quick download. You can download Call of Duty Mobile, which is 1.85 GB in size, in about three to four minutes.
Can I Stream at 100 Mbps with No Problems?
Streaming videos do not require more than 100 Mbps of bandwidth. A bandwidth of 20 Mbps to 25 Mbps is needed for 4K streaming.
This plan allows for nearly four simultaneous 4K streams. The bandwidth for 1080p streams is even lower, at only 5 Mbps. This means you can watch 20 1080p videos simultaneously.
You might be wondering if 100 Mbps is adequate for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Yes, that is the case. With this plan, it’s a breeze to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in high definition.
This means you can watch Netflix in high definition on almost twenty to thirty devices at once. However, YouTube videos can be downloaded at a maximum speed of 1 Mbps. That’s roughly 150-200 hours of subpar video quality that you can watch.
That’s not too bad. Finally, at 100 Mbps, users of Spotify or Apple Music can simultaneously play 330 streams.
How Well Do 100 Mbps Speeds Work For Video Chats or Calls?
Almost 60 Microsoft Teams calls can be made with a 100 Mbps connection. You can also make 40-80 voice calls via WhatsApp, and 8-14 video calls.
Additionally, this strategy would significantly reduce the quantity of 1080p calls. Therefore, you should think about upgrading your speed if your job requires you to make frequent 1080p calls.
Using WiFi at 100 Mbps for File Downloads
With a download speed of 100 Mbps, you can simultaneously stream 2-4 4K videos, make nearly 50 Microsoft Teams calls, and listen to 320 Spotify tracks.
With this plan, you can also expect large applications weighing in at around 25GB to download in under an hour.
It’s been said that those who work from home only need 25 Mbps or 50 Mbps download speeds. So you can imagine how great 100 Mbps internet would be for a single user or a small family of three or four people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 100 Mbps internet good or bad for one person?
One person doesn’t need more than 100 Mbps. This plan is so flexible that as many as four people can work together on it at once. This plan is ideal for those who regularly perform data-intensive tasks, such as downloading or uploading large files or videos.
How many devices can 100 Mbps support?
It is conditional on the needs at hand. However, regardless of the type of activity being performed, the 100 Mbps plan should be able to support no more than 10 devices simultaneously.
Is 100 Mbps internet fast enough for gaming?
Online gaming at 100 Mbps is feasible. Using this method, even the most demanding games will be a breeze to play. This internet package allows for nearly 66 gaming sessions.
100 Mbps vs 200 Mbps: Which plan to pick?
For households with three or four members, 100 Mbps is more than sufficient. While a family of seven or less can get by with 200 Mbps, a small business would need more. You can play intensive online games, download large files, and render high-resolution images at this connection speed.
Wrap Up
A connection speed of 100 Mbps is more than adequate for a family of four or a small business. However, if you regularly upload videos to YouTube or download large files, you may want to upgrade to 150 Mbps or 300 Mbps, or Maybe 1Gbps.
Further Read:
