Mathews County is aggressively pursuing multiple approaches to extend broadband internet availability to ensure the entire County has access to internet service that is:
- Accessible
- Affordable
- High-speed
- Reliable
- Universal
How is internet speed measured?
Internet speed is determined by how much data the connection can download (download speeds) or upload (upload speeds) per second.
In both cases, the speed is shown as bits per second (bps). Since an internet connection transfers thousands of bits per second, we use the prefixes k, M and G to show how many thousands of bits we’re talking about. It is based on the metric system: “k” = 1,000, “M” = 1,000k (1,000,000) and “G” = 1,000M (1,000,000,000).
Think of “broadband” as the national internet speed limit
Per the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a broadband internet connection should be a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps. This helps us determine a baseline for what is considered fast and slow internet speeds.
Speeds much faster than a standard broadband connection are generally considered “fast” internet. While all speeds below that threshold aren’t necessarily slow, they are too slow to be considered broadband internet.
Remember many things can affect actual internet speeds and performance. Adding connected devices and using the internet for demanding tasks such as streaming in 4K or downloading an HD movie can hinder performance and make even “fast” speeds seem slow.
What is a good internet speed?
A good internet speed is at or above 25 Mbps. These speeds will support most online activity, such as HD streaming, online gaming, web browsing and downloading music.
What are fast internet upload speeds?
Upload speeds of 10 Mbps or higher are generally considered fast internet speeds for upload because they can easily handle the common activities of the average user.
Test your broadband speed below.