What internet speed is needed for online classes?

Online learning, also known as distance learning or distance education, has become a mainstream and desirable option for students and instructors.

Your school or training provider might not have official internet speed requirements for online classes. Even if they do, the published numbers might only speak to the minimum speeds you need for downloads and uploads.

Another consideration when choosing an internet plan for online learning or teaching is whether the speeds are symmetrical. With many internet plans, the download speed is much faster than the upload speed. Because online learning may involve live classes, discussions, file uploads and content creation, having an upload speed that can keep up with the download speed is critical. The only way to get symmetrical speeds is with fiber-optic internet, which is built for the online needs of modernity and the future.

Let's take a look at what speed you need for online classes as well as the speeds you probably want to have so that you enjoy seamless, glitch-free performance.

How many Mbps do you need for online classes?

First off, internet speeds are calculated by megabits per second (Mbps) and kilobits per second (Kbps). This is the amount of data that can transfer in a second. Megabits refer to millions while kilobits refer to thousands.

Now there's a new speed on the block: Gig speed. One Gig is equivalent to 1,000 Mbps. Many people are finding that their online lives need at least a gig to function without lag. With Ziply Fiber, you can get symmetrical speeds up to 50 gigs—the fastest home internet speed in America. Most people don't need this much speed, but multigig speeds, like 2 and 5 gigabit plans, are becoming increasingly popular.

Are the stated minimum internet speeds sufficient?

Here's the thing about the minimum Mbps for online classes: while it might get the job done, you may experience more glitches or lagging—especially if you share your home with other people using the internet at the same time.

The minimum speed requirement for an LMS is the absolute slowest speed at which a user can tolerably use the app's features. Anything lower, and your learning app probably won't perform as it was designed. If you purchase 100 Mbps internet for your online classes, that 100 Mbps is the maximum speed you will enjoy directly from your modem. If you're using a wireless router, it will be slower.

In other words, you won't be getting the minimum required speed by the time the wireless signal makes it to your laptop.

We recommend 1 Gbps download and upload speeds for optimal internet performance in your online classes. That's the same as 1,000 Mbps.

1 Gbps (also known as 1 Gig) might sound like overkill. But Gig speeds ensure you always get the performance you expect during your online classes without frustrating slowdowns that could negatively impact coursework. Even if you don't need mega bandwidth for your classes, if you have housemates who are using devices—or even if you have other devices of your own going at the same time—you can reasonably expect that lower speeds will disrupt your ability to work online to some extent.

Now, factor in the speed lost between your wireless router and your device, not to mention network congestion issues that are common among cable internet users, and it's easy to see why you should consider a speed of 1 Gbps. It's basically the only way to be sure you can engage in your online class without any other activities compromising your bandwidth.

What internet speed do you need for video calls?

Do your online classes use video calls? Zoom publishes minimum speed requirements for using various features in its video calling app.

The range of speeds for activities varies, as you'll see. Some activities require less than 10 Mbps to function, while things like high-quality video need around 600 Kbps. Given that huge differential, it's safer to go with a higher speed tier than a lower one.

And remember what we said about minimum speeds earlier? All of those stipulations apply here as well.

Having only the minimum download and upload speeds available for video calling will result in a passable performance, but probably not what you were expecting from the app. Not only that, you will have absolutely zero bandwidth left over for simultaneous internet activities.

No one wants to get stuck with an awkward frozen face. To stay glitch-free, we recommend a much higher baseline internet speed for enjoying optimal performance during your online classes.

What is the best internet connection for remote learning?

The best possible internet speed for your online classes is the fastest one you can get.

After all, your education is important. Bandwidth issues can cause you to miss critical material or render you unable to effectively interact with your instructor. And you can't blame a failed file transfer on your dog eating your homework anymore. That's why we recommend download and upload speeds of 1 Gbps. With speeds that fast, neither you nor anybody else in your household will need to make any compromises when it comes to their internet usage.

The best way to enjoy internet speeds of 1 Gbps at an affordable price is through a fiber internet plan. In addition to being lightning fast for downloads, fiber internet offers symmetrical speeds for uploads, so you never have to settle for an upload speed that's slower than your download speeds. With fiber internet, they're both 1 Gbps or whatever speed option you decide to purchase.

Not only that, fiber internet connections are more reliable. While cable internet connections tend to slow down during peak usage times because the legacy infrastructure struggles to handle the internet traffic, fiber connections stay fast no matter what. Many of us take online classes in the evening, which is when cable connections typically slow down. With fiber internet, you will never have to compromise on speed, no matter what time of day you're in class.

Improve internet connectivity and performance

So, we've established that you need more than the minimum download and upload speed requirements for taking online classes, and that symmetrical speeds lead to the best performance. Other than that, how can you optimize your internet connection?

Here are some top tips:

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