What speed do I need for remote learning?

Online learning has become a popular way to complete a degree, continue education and learn new skills while working and parenting. But access to remote classes can depend on the speed and quality of your internet.

For most virtual classes, you'll want at least 25 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload per student. If multiple people in your home are attending video lectures, streaming or gaming at the same time, consider a download speed of 100 Mbps or faster. For the best experience, choose symmetrical fiber internet. With fiber internet, uploads and downloads are the same speed, resulting in less delay, buffering and glitch.

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Are 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 lag – especially if you share your home with other people using the internet at the same time.

The minimum speed requirement for distance learning is the absolute slowest speed at which a user can tolerably use the app’s features. Anything lower, and the app or portal 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 get. Keep in mind, too, that WiFi speeds are always slower than if you connect your device directly to the router with an Ethernet cord.

Why fiber internet is best for online classes

Fiber internet has two distinct advantages over cable or DSL internet: it’s faster, and it offers symmetrical upload and download speeds.

Many internet providers advertise download speed, but online learning depends on upload speed, too. Every time you turn on your camera, participate in a discussion, upload homework or present a project, you're using upload bandwidth. If upload speeds are slow, your video may freeze and assignments may take longer to send. Symmetrical speeds ensure that your upload speed is as fast as your download speed.

Is fiber internet good for college students?

Fiber internet is ideal for university students. Students are not only studying, but they also rely on the internet for entertainment, like streaming and gaming, and content creation for social media. Fiber internet’s symmetrical speeds and mega-fast speeds improve connectivity and decrease lag and buffering. Because no one’s got time for that.

Why Ziply Fiber is a great choice for online education

Ziply Fiber offers symmetrical 100 Mbps symmetrical speed at an affordable price point with no contract requirements or bundles or hidden fees.

For more intense internet use, like gaming and streaming, or if you have multiple people needing the internet at the same time, you may want to opt for the 300/300 plan or even the popular Gig speed plan. Gig speed (1,000 Mbps, or 1 Gbps) ensures you have enough bandwidth for all your online activities. And with fiber internet, that’s 1 Gbps up and down. Some cable internet service providers offer 1 Gbps speed, but that’s only the download speed. Upload speed is much slower.

Improve internet connectivity and performance

Other than getting symmetrical fiber internet speeds and ensuring your plan covers your bandwidth needs, what else can you do to optimize your internet connection?

Here are some tips:

Use a wired Ethernet connection, rather than WiFi, to get fully provisioned speeds.
Upgrade your router to the latest WiFi 7 version.
Limit streaming and gaming during class sessions.
Disconnect devices you’re not using during class.