What to Look for in an Internet Plan

Half of our lives are now spent online. Initially, our usage of the internet was limited to entertainment and socializing. The past decade has completely transformed the architecture of the internet, providing easy and accessible ways to fulfill our daily tasks online. Whether it is shopping, earning money, education, or even health, we turn to digital spaces for answers and solutions.

Having a good internet connection now is just like looking for a new home. You know you will be spending a lot of time on it! Before deciding on a plan, you need to keep in mind the following factors:

Family Size

How many people will be using the internet at your home? What are their daily internet requirements? Before looking for plans, make up a list of your requirements so you know which plan will work best for you.

Duration

How long are you planning on using the internet? If you’re a student who might only require the internet for a year, your plan will be different from someone who plans on having a longer commitment.

Main Usage

If you work from home, your requirement for the internet will be a lot more than someone who spends their day out and only requires home internet for entertainment. Similarly, if you’re a student who has to take online classes rather than on-campus work, you need a faster internet.

If you’re looking for a new internet connection and are not sure what your internet plan must include, we have you covered. These are all the basic requirements you need to keep in mind while choosing an internet plan:

 1.  Internet Speed

As discussed above, different households have different internet speed requirements. Once you have identified your requirements, you need to find the right speed for you.

An internet speed of 5 to 10 Mbps works for people who live alone and need the internet for very limited activities such as:

•     Browsing
•     Listening to music
•     Sending emails

A speed of 10 to 40 Mbps works for teenagers who like to stream and browse regularly or students who require the internet for online classes. This speed could support activities like:

•     Using YouTube
•     Watching Netflix
•     Browsing Social media
•     Online classes

Whereas, an internet Speed of 40 to 100 Mbps works well for people who work remotely, students who study online, and families who need internet for multiple users:

•     Surfing the internet
•     Working from home
•     Online assignments
•     Regular Video calls

 A speed of 100 to 500 Mbps works best for big families with multiple internet users. This speed is best for uses like:

•     Online gaming
•     Video calls
•     Streaming
•     Working from home

2.  Bundles

Some internet providers also offer bundled services like Cable TV and/or phone services. Getting a bundled service can be cheaper as compared to getting a separate plan for each of the services. Xfinity bundles, for example, offer three variations that are:

•     Internet
•     Internet + TV
•     Internet + TV + Phone Service

Getting a bundled service is also very convenient as all your services are provided by one source and you do not have to pay multiple service providers. 

3.  Type of Connection

There are several connection types and their availability mostly depends on your location. The 4 main types of connection are:

Fiber

Fiber internet is the fastest internet connection offering a range of 50 to 1000 Mbps. The average price range for fiber internet is between $70 and $150 per month. If there is a fiber connection in your area, it should be your priority.

Cable

Cable internet is the second fastest internet option with a speed range of 20 to 200 Mbps. Cable internet is priced at around $30 to $100 monthly and is a good option for families and students.

DSL

This is one of the slower options and hence should not be a first choice if you need the internet for work. The average speed provided by DSL internet ranges between 5 and 45 Mbps and the price is between $25 to $80 per month.

Satellite

A satellite connection is the slowest internet connection usually available in rural areas where the requirement for strong internet is limited. Satellite internet usually has a speed of around 10 to 30 Mbps and its price ranges between $50 to $150 per month.

4. Data Limit

Data limit determines how many GB of the internet you can use in your plan. You can decide on your preferred data limit based on your family’s requirements.

If you live alone and have very limited usage you can get a plan offering around the range of 10 to 300 GB.

If you have school-going children who need the internet for online classes or assignments, you should get around 100 to 300 GB.

If you work from home, attend video calls, have a big family, or like to play online games, you should get a plan that offers unlimited data.

Choose Wisely!

We hope our internet plan checklist will help you choose the best internet package that works well for your family. Be sure to research well before landing on one!