100 Mbps, 500 Mbps or 1 Gig: where should you start?

Start with your busiest hour, not your average day

Internet plans fail at 8 PM, not 8 AM. Count what's happening in your home at peak: how many screens streaming, who's on a video call, which consoles are downloading, how many smart devices are chattering in the background. Your plan needs to clear that moment comfortably, everything else is easy.

What each tier really handles

100 Mbps covers 1–2 people browsing, HD streaming and calls, a solid solo or couple plan. 300–500 Mbps is the family sweet spot: several 4K streams, simultaneous video calls and gaming with headroom to spare. 1 Gig earns its keep in homes with 10+ devices, big game downloads, 4K-everything habits or home offices moving large files.

Don't ignore upload speed

Download numbers get the billboard, but uploads shape how the internet feels: video calls, cloud backups, livestreams and security cameras all push data up. Cable tops out around 10–35 Mbps up; fiber matches its download speed. If two plans cost the same and one is fiber, take the fiber.

The price-after-promo test

Before ordering, find the rate for month 13, it's in the broadband facts label on every provider's plan page. The 2026 shift toward locked pricing (Optimum and Xfinity's 5-year guarantees, AT&T and Frontier's flat rates) makes this easier than it's ever been: prefer a locked $45 over a promo $35 that becomes $70.