Article Summary
High-speed internet is any connection with download speeds of at least 25Mbps. Whether you need faster internet speeds depends on your online habits and household makeup. Many high-speed plans are very affordable, falling within $30-60 per month range. Most internet service providers (ISPs) offer a plethora of high-speed options to meet your budget.
Internet speed is one of the most important factors to consider when shopping for an internet plan. It determines how quickly a video loads and plays, how fast a file downloads to your computer, and how clear your FaceTime connection is. The term "high-speed internet" is casually thrown around all the time—but what actually is high-speed internet?
In this guide, we'll break down the specific speeds that designate a high-speed internet connection, highlight some average costs of high-speed internet, and help you decide whether high-speed internet is right for you.
How Fast Is High-Speed Internet?
High-speed internet is any connection that delivers download speeds of at least 25Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3Mbps, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These numbers apply to standard broadband connections (i.e., cable, DSL, satellite, and fiber), as opposed to dial-up.
While 25Mbps/3Mbps is technically the threshold for "high-speed" internet, the efficiency of those speeds is relative to your online habits, and they may not necessarily be fast enough for your needs. For example, if you've cut the cord and use a live TV streaming service instead, you'll want faster download speeds so your video doesn't lag. If you're a big gamer or you often use video conferencing software for work (or brunch, or happy hour), your upload speeds will need a big lift. And if your home has multiple people and devices competing for bandwidth at once, your speeds will need a boost yet again to compensate.
Therefore, "high-speed" is relative to the download and upload speeds your home actually requires. (Not sure about the difference between download and upload speeds? Check out our guide for a thorough explanation.) That's why internet providers offer plans with speeds far surpassing 25Mbps, with fiber-connected plans reaching downloads as fast as 1Gbps.
High-Speed Internet Reliability and Availability
While not part of the official criteria, another factor that experts often use to distinguish high-speed internet is its reliability, or how often your connection is "on" and working versus not. In general, a high-speed internet connection shouldn't have significant service gaps or outages throughout a given day. Of course, any connection is subject to slowdowns and deprioritization when the entire network is busy. This often happens in the evenings, when most people are home from work or school and using their connected devices all at once.
High-speed internet is available pretty much everywhere a cable line can reach. Rural high-speed internet is more elusive, because of the difficulty installing these lines to reach remote areas. Rural customers often opt for a satellite internet plan, which has is available more widely but lacks the high speeds of cable and DSL plans. The current lone exception is Starlink internet, which has the potential to rival fiber internet in terms of speed, reliability, and availability.
Do You Need High Speed Internet?
Whether high-speed internet is right for you depends on your online habits. As mentioned, your download and upload speeds should support your most common activities. Here are a few examples, along with the average internet speeds to support a smooth experience.
Average Required Internet Speeds
| Download Speeds | Upload Speeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Web browsing/email | 1-5Mbps | 1-3Mbps |
| Music streaming | 5-15Mbps | 1Mbps |
| HD video streaming | 5-25Mbps | 3Mbps |
| Standard gaming | 15-20Mbps | 1Mbps |
| Live gaming | 40-100Mbps | 3-5Mbps |
| Video conferencing | 10-20Mbps | 3-5Mbps |
Most users will likely benefit from at least the minimum 25Mbps threshold set for high-speed internet, but if you only use your internet for basic web browsing, email, and light streaming, you could easily get away with a lower speed.
If, on the other hand, you have a tech-happy household with multiple devices using the internet simultaneously, a higher speed will be helpful. For some context, a lightning-fast 1Gbps connection can download a two-hour movie in 25 seconds, whereas a 10Mbps connection gets done in 45 minutes to an hour. An internet plan with 100Mbps download speeds is a happy medium for most users, as it can handle various activities at the same time without significant slowdowns.
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#1
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Cox
Go Fast + Mobile Unlimited
$90/mo
for 24 months. Available in select locations.
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#2
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Kinetic
100 Mbps
$19.99/mo
for 1 year with AutoPay
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#3
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Optimum
300 Mbps Internet
$25/mo
with $10/month eligible Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas.
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#4
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Frontier
Fiber 500 Internet
$29.99/mo
with AutoPay
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#5
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Brightspeed
200 Mbps
$29.99/mo
Limited availability/areas. Taxes and fees extra. Autopay required. Pricing Subject to change.
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High-Speed Internet Cost
Cheap high-speed internet isn't hard to find, especially if you only need speeds around the 25Mbps mark. But make sure to read the fine print: Many high-speed internet deals feature promotional pricing. Typically, this lower price is good for 12 months and goes up thereafter. If you want to be able to change your plan and speed at any given time, make sure to opt for high-speed internet without a contract.
That said, you can find lots of plans within the $30-60 range that offer much higher speeds.
Checking Your Internet Speed
Not sure whether your current internet plan delivers high speeds? Use WhistleOut's internet speed test to find out what your current download and upload speeds are.
Here's a helpful tip: Run your speed test a few times in a given day—once each in the morning, afternoon, and evening—with different numbers of devices in use at once. You'll get a more accurate measure of how your internet performs during periods of light to heavy network use, as well as a reflection of how your specific connection handles traffic from multiple devices.
If you already have a high-speed plan, but your connection is lagging, use our tips on how to boost your internet speeds to keep your network smooth and buffer-free.
High-Speed Internet Providers and Plans
Whether you're looking for unlimited high-speed internet to support an entire tech-heavy household, or a smaller plan to keep yourself connected, there's an internet provider that fits your budget and needs.
Here are some of the most popular high-speed internet plans at the moment.
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#1
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EarthLink 
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#2
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Kinetic 
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#3
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Brightspeed 
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#4
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Xfinity 
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#5
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Verizon Fios 
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#6
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Mercury Broadband 
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#7
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Blue Peak 
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#8
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IQ Fiber 
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#9
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Xfinity
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#10
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Wyyerd 
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Lauren Hannula
Managing Editor
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