Internet Speed vs Bandwidth - Jargon Buster

When you're looking into business broadband options, terms like bandwidth, speed, and other jargon get thrown around a lot. However, these words don’t mean the same thing, and understanding the difference can help you make better decisions around connectivity. If your team has ever experienced sluggish downloads or choppy video calls, it may be an issue with either speed or bandwidth. Let’s break down the jargon to understand how each factor impacts your business internet in Nottingham and why it matters for your business.

So what is speed? Simply put, internet speed is how fast data can be sent to or received by your devices over the internet. It’s measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps), which indicate how quickly information is transmitted.

For example, if your business broadband advertises speeds of 100 Mbps, it means data can travel at up to 100 megabits per second between your network and the internet. Speed affects how smoothly activities like video conferencing, file downloads, and website browsing feel for your team.

With broadband, speed is measured in download and upload speed. Download is how quickly data reaches your device, and upload is how quickly data is sent back from your device to the internet.

While speed might sound like the only thing that matters, it’s only one part of the equation. Bandwidth is equally essential and is often misunderstood.

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can travel over your internet connection. Picture it like a motorway. If speed measures how fast a car can travel, bandwidth is the number of lanes on the motorway itself.

A higher bandwidth means more lanes on the highway, so more data can travel simultaneously. This is particularly important for businesses with multiple users who need to access the internet simultaneously. Bandwidth is also measured in Mbps or Gbps and is often included in business internet packages as a measure of how much data capacity the service provides. Think of bandwidth as the potential capacity of your internet connection, while speed is how fast data actually travels. High speed with low bandwidth can still lead to congestion if too many devices or applications are competing for limited capacity.

Why do you need to worry about both?

Video conferencing and VoIP calls need high speeds to make sure your data is reaching the recipient and returning to you in an acceptable time frame. In an office environment, larger bandwidth allows more users to be on video calls at once.

File Sharing apps, or any cloud-based apps, require a lot of bandwidth, as you're asking many users to access the internet at once.

Myth Busting some common myths:

Myth 1: More Speed Means Faster Everything
It’s common to think that simply boosting your internet speed will solve all connectivity issues. However, without adequate bandwidth, data will still get congested. Investing in higher bandwidth can sometimes be more effective than boosting speed alone.

Myth 2: Speed and Bandwidth Are Interchangeable
Though they’re measured in similar units, speed and bandwidth are not the same. High-speed internet with limited bandwidth is like having a sports car on a narrow road—capable of going fast, but often stuck behind other traffic. High bandwidth allows more traffic but doesn’t necessarily make each car move faster.

Myth 3: Only Big Businesses Need High Bandwidth
While it’s true that large companies need higher bandwidth, small and medium businesses can also benefit, especially if they rely on cloud services, video calls, and simultaneous internet use.