Today’s internet service providers give you more options than ever before, but the savings you can realize will always come with trade-offs. Sometimes, it’s availability in a limited geographic area, like when Google first rolled out its fiber network. At other times, it can be a data barrier, with rising costs as you require more and more data to get the job done. This can be a big issue for people with high-demand digital lifestyles. For those who make their living online, it can be a real limiting factor in their ability to grow a brand.
Streaming Video Games and Data Caps
One of the biggest ways that companies trim the costs in their plans is by throttling speed, giving you a limit on how much you can demand. That can be a decent trade-off if you’re alone and you never need to connect more than one device because many computers are limited more by their hard drive read/write speed than by their data connection. Even when that’s not the case, your internet is only as fast as the server you are trying to connect to, so a speed trade-off meets the needs of many customers. For those that need full speed internet because many devices demand access at once, data caps are often offered as a savings choice. The problem here is that for those who stream videos, upload large freelance projects, and generally handle creative work online, these caps can limit your ability to do your job in a cost-effective way.
One big example is video game streamers, who often have to maintain a connection to an online gaming platform while sending out a 4K or 1080p video stream with full sound support. Viewers watch to see the hottest games played in high-quality graphics, and the entire entertainment niche depends on data being fast and unlimited.
Compare Options in Your Area
Not everyone needs the fastest plan, and not everyone needs unlimited data. If you’re looking to save a little money, which one is a better limit to accept? It might seem like it depends on whether you’re going to be demanding a lot of data quickly, but the fact is that even slow broadband plans are many times faster than they were a decade ago or more. If you are going to accept a limit, it makes more sense to go for a lower speed plan with a provider who never caps your data, because you will be able to do as much as you want online and you’re not likely to notice a big performance difference unless you start using data-intensive applications. If that’s the case, a data cap will wind up hurting you anyway.
Check out your options for speed as well as possible bundle deals with other services, and find the internet that supports you and your family. Remember, each device you operate will need different amounts of bandwidth. Surfing the net and participating in social media really only takes about one megabyte per second, and Netflix recommends budgeting five per device streaming in HD. If you’re running an estimate for 4K, it’s a good idea to double or even quadruple that estimate. Most online games can survive on a single megabyte per second, but if you play in high definition, you should budget those devices as if they are streaming TV.
Once you understand the broadband needs your home and lifestyle lead to, it’s a lot easier to find the right internet. Start your search today, and get the right service at a perfect price.
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