Understanding broadband speed terms

Average and estimated speeds

The speed on a broadband advert or deal page is usually described as an average — a figure reflecting what customers on that deal typically receive, rather than a promise about your individual line. Your own speed depends on things like the technology serving your address and how far your line runs to the nearest cabinet or exchange.

When you sign up, the provider usually gives you an estimated speed for your specific address. That estimate is personal to your line, so it can differ — up or down — from the advertised average, and it is worth keeping hold of.

What Mbps measures

Mbps stands for megabits per second, and it measures how much data your connection can move each second. A higher figure means more data at once — pages load with less waiting, downloads finish sooner, and more people or devices can be online at the same time without getting in each other’s way.

It is a measure of capacity rather than a guarantee of experience. Two connections with the same Mbps figure can still feel different in use, depending on what is happening at each end of them.

Download and upload speeds

The headline figure on a deal is almost always the download speed — how quickly data reaches you. Upload speed, which is how quickly data travels from you back out to the internet, is often listed separately and is lower than the download figure on many home connections.

Which one matters more depends on how you actually use your connection.

• Download is what you use when streaming, browsing, and downloading files or updates.
• Upload is what you use when sending large files, backing up photos to the cloud, or appearing on video calls.
• Video calls and online gaming lean on both directions at once, so a limited upload tends to show itself there first.

The speed to your home versus your wi-fi

The speed your provider quotes describes the connection arriving at your router. The wi-fi inside your home is a separate link, and it is often where speed is lost — a device at the far end of the house can receive far less than the router itself is getting.

This distinction matters when you read a speed test: a slow result over wi-fi does not necessarily mean the connection to your home is slow. Testing on a device plugged directly into the router gives a clearer picture of the speed actually being delivered.

• Distance from the router, and the walls or floors in between.
• How many devices are using the connection at the same time.
• The age and capability of the device you are testing on.

The idea of a minimum guaranteed speed

Alongside the average and estimated figures, some contracts include a minimum guaranteed speed — a floor for your line that the provider commits to. Where one exists, it is usually shown in the contract summary or the order confirmation you receive when you sign up.

It is worth knowing where this figure is recorded and what your contract says should happen if the speed you receive falls below it, since that section describes the process the provider has agreed to follow.

Where to find the figures for your own connection

The speed terms for your own deal usually appear in the contract summary, the order confirmation email, and the account area of your provider’s website or app. Bills sometimes show only the name of your plan rather than the speed itself, so the account area is often the more direct place to look.

Comparing the estimate you were given at sign-up with what a wired speed test shows tells you how your connection is performing against what was quoted — a useful thing to understand about the service you already pay for.

A note on this guide

This guide is general information to help you understand your own contracts. It is not financial advice or a recommendation, and it does not rank or endorse any provider. Every decision about your contracts remains with you. To see how PEAMO surfaces your contracts and renewals, read How PEAMO works.