How fast your internet needs to be for streaming, gaming, and more

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 29 July 2021

Speed is one of the most important considerations when picking a new NBN plan. Is your usage light enough that an NBN 25 plan might suffice, or are you an avid downloader that wants your transfers completely as quickly as possible?

The topic of speed can be a little bit tricky. In many ways, faster is better. If you're on a fast internet speed, your downloads will naturally finish faster than they would on a lower NBN tier. But if you're just watching Netflix, hopping on video calls, or gaming, what kind of speeds do you actually need?

Most online activities have a baseline speed requirement. For example, watching Netflix in HD requires a 5Mbps connection. This means literally every NBN plan is fast enough to get you a crisp high-definition stream. Moving to a faster plan won't make your high definition higher definition.

Of course, a faster connection means you have more bandwidth available to you. An NBN connection is a shared resource, so if you're on a 50Mbps plan and streaming HD Netflix, you've then got 45Mbps left for everything else you or anyone else in your household wants to do online. With each new task, the total capacity available drops.

If you're not sure what's your current speed, take our internet speed test to find out if you have enough bandwidth for all your online activities.

With that in mind, we're going to look at the speed requirements for some of the most common online activities.

What internet speed do I need for streaming music?

Music streaming through services, like Apple Music and Spotify, is one of the least demanding online activities. Most music services require speeds of just 0.64Mbps at maximum. Even on an NBN 12 plan, streaming music in the background will barely impact your overall connection.

Services like Apple Music and Tidal do however offer lossless audio tiers. For lossless music, you need speeds of about 2Mbps, and for hi-resolution lossless, you'll need as much as 10Mbps.

What internet speed do I need for streaming video

Video streaming is one of the most intensive activities many of us use our internet connections for. However, exact data requirements will depend on what quality you want to stream your video at. Here are the speed figures Netflix provides as guidance:

Netflix speed requirements

Stream Quality	Speed Requirement
Low	1.5Mbps
Standard Definition	3Mbps
High Definition	5Mbps
Ultra HD (4K)	25Mbps

Stan's speed requirements are similar, but just a little different:

Stan speed requirements

Stream Quality	Speed Requirement
Low	2Mbps
Standard Definition	3Mbps
High Definition (720p)	4.5Mbps
High Definition (1080p)	7.5Mbps
Ultra HD (4K)	15Mbps

And here are Binge's:

Binge speed requirements

Stream Quality	Speed Requirement
Low	2.5Mbps
High Definition (720p)	4Mbps
High Definition (1080p)	5Mbps

While there are plenty of other streaming services, as a rule of thumb, expect that you'll need 5Mbps of speed for high-definition video. If you've got a household of two, an NBN 25 plan will be more than adequate for most video streaming needs. Just note that while NBN 25 is fast enough for 4K, it's not enough to watch two 4K streams at the same time. Here are a few popular NBN 25 plans:

#1	SpinTel	SpinTel All Fixed Line nbn® Home Starter 25/10 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/8 Mbps Unlimited Data WhistleOut Special: Includes $28.95 off your plan for first 6 months! $41/mth for first 6 months, then $69.95/mth $41/mth for first 6 mths, then $69.95/mth Min. cost $41 Go to Site	$41/mth for first 6 mths, then $69.95/mth Min. cost $41	Go to Site
#2	Dodo	Dodo All Fixed Line nbn® nbn25 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/9 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $73.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $43.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $73.99/mth Min. cost $43.99 Go to Site*	$43.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $73.99/mth Min. cost $43.99	Go to Site
#3	Flip Editor's Pick	Flip All Fixed Line nbn® Editor's Pick Unlimited Premium nbn25 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/8 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $17.90/mth off for 12 months - $48/mth for first 12 mths then $65.90/mth. New customers only. Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs apply. $48/mth for first 12 mths then $65.90/mth Min. cost $48 Go to Site	$48/mth for first 12 mths then $65.90/mth Min. cost $48	Go to Site
#4	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom All Fixed Line nbn® Value NBN 25/10 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/8.5 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $30/mth off for the first 6 mths, $42.90/month for first 6 months, then $72.90/month. Ends 30.10.26 $42.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $72.90/mth Min. cost $42.90 Go to Site	$42.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $72.90/mth Min. cost $42.90	Go to Site
#5	TPG	TPG All Fixed Line nbn® nbn25 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/8 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $59.99/mth for first 6 months, then $79.99/mth. T&Cs apply. $59.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $79.99/mth Min. cost $59.99 Link not supplied	$59.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $79.99/mth Min. cost $59.99	Link not supplied
#6	Kogan Internet	Kogan Internet All Fixed Line nbn® Bronze Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/8 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $21/mth off for 12mths. $49.90/mth for first 12 months then revert back to $70.90/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $49.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $70.90/mth Min. cost $49.90 Go to Site	$49.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $70.90/mth Min. cost $49.90	Go to Site
#7	Telstra	Telstra All Fixed Line nbn® Upfront Internet Plan Basic All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/4 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Get 50% off any home nbn plan for 2 months. Add code PROMO at checkout. Ends 05.10.26. T&Cs apply. $97/mth Min. cost $48.50 Link not supplied	$97/mth Min. cost $48.50	Link not supplied
#8	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband All Fixed Line nbn® Basic Plus nbn - Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 23/9 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25 off for the first 6 months. Promo code SPRING25. $83/mth after promo ends 15.11.26 $58/mth for first 6 months, then $83/mth Min. cost $58 Link not supplied	$58/mth for first 6 months, then $83/mth Min. cost $58	Link not supplied
#9	Belong	Belong All Fixed Line nbn® NBN Starter – Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/8 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $26 off for 6 months - $49/mth for first 6 mths, then $75/mth (Offer ends 04.11.26) + Free $80 Mobile SIM $49/mth for first 6 mths, then $75/mth Min. cost $49 Go to Site	$49/mth for first 6 mths, then $75/mth Min. cost $49	Go to Site
#10	iiNet	iiNet All Fixed Line nbn® nbn25 Liimitless All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 25/8 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for 6 mths – $59.99/mth for first 6 months, then $79.99/mth. Use code SAVE20FOR6 $59.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $79.99/mth Min. cost $69.99 Link not supplied	$59.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $79.99/mth Min. cost $69.99	Link not supplied

For most, however, we'd recommend an NBN 50 plan for a more comfortable buffer. Here are a few popular NBN 50 plans:

#1	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo All Fixed Line nbn® Editor's Pick nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $87.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99 Go to Site*	$57.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth Min. cost $57.99	Go to Site
#2	amaysim	amaysim All Fixed Line nbn® NBN50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $40/mth off for the first 6 months ($30 NBN Sale + $10 Standard Intro offer), then $85/mth. Ends 04.10.26 $45/mth for first 6 months, then $85/mth Min. cost $45 Go to Site	$45/mth for first 6 months, then $85/mth Min. cost $45	Go to Site
#3	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom All Fixed Line nbn® Value Plus NBN 50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for the first 6 mths, $64.90/month for first 6 months, then $89.90/month. $64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90 Go to Site	$64.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth Min. cost $64.90	Go to Site
#4	TPG	TPG All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Unlimited Plan All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. T&Cs apply. $69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $69.99	Link not supplied
#5	Belong	Belong All Fixed Line nbn® NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $36 off for 6 months - $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth (Offer ends 04.11.26) + Free $80 Mobile SIM $55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth for first 6 mths, then $91/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#6	Superloop	Superloop All Fixed Line nbn® Extra-value nbn50/20 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $20/mth off for 6 months! $69/mth for 6 mths, then $89/mth + Bundle & Save $69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#7	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband All Fixed Line nbn® Value nbn - Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 47/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25 off for the first 6 months. Promo code SPRING25. $95/mth after promo ends 15.11.26 $70/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $70 Link not supplied	$70/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $70	Link not supplied
#8	iiNet	iiNet All Fixed Line nbn® nbn50 Liimitless All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20/mth off for 6 mths – $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $89.99/mth. Use code SAVE20FOR6 $69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth Min. cost $79.99	Link not supplied
#9	Kogan Internet	Kogan Internet All Fixed Line nbn® Silver Unlimited All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $11/mth off for 12mths. $69.90/mth for first 12 months then revert back to $80.90/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90 Go to Site	$69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $80.90/mth Min. cost $69.90	Go to Site
#10	Flip	Flip All Fixed Line nbn® Unlimited Family nbn50 All Fixed Line nbn® nbn® 50/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $16.90/mth off for 6 months - $68/mth for first 6mths then $84.90/mth. New customers only. Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs apply. $68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68 Go to Site	$68/mth for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth Min. cost $68	Go to Site

What internet speed do I need for gaming

Playing video games online is actually less demanding than you might expect. Requirements will vary from game to game, but as a rule of thumb, you'll want to factor in about 3Mbps of download speeds. Since online gaming also requires uploading information back to a server or other players, you'll want at least 1Mbps of upload.

NBN 12 plans only have 1Mbps of upload capacity, which could get stretched thin if anyone on your internet connection is trying to do any task that requires upload - such as a video call. As such, we'd recommend an NBN 25 plan at a minimum of online gaming.

While playing a game online doesn't really require a high-speed connection, downloading new games is very data intensive. Many new blockbuster titles are often 50GB at a minimum, at least when it comes to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. Next-generation titles have come in over 100GB.

While you can still download a 50GB game on a slower internet connection, it is naturally going to take longer. Here's a comparison of how long it will take you to download a 50GB game across the six NBN speed tiers.

Time to download a 50GB game

NBN Speed Tier	Download Time
NBN 12	10 hours
NBN 25	4.75 hours
NBN 50	2.5 hours
NBN 100	1 hour
NBN 250	28 minutes
NBN 1000	7 minutes

If you download games regularly, we'd recommend an NBN 100 plan at a minimum. Here are a few popular options:

#1	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Editor's Pick nbn100 Unlimited Plan FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $92.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $62.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.99/mth Min. cost $62.99 Go to Site*	$62.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.99/mth Min. cost $62.99	Go to Site
#2	amaysim	amaysim FTTN, FTTB, FTTC NBN100 FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $40/mth off for the first 6 months ($30 NBN Sale + $10 Standard Intro Offer), then $90/mth. Ends 20.10.26 $50/mth for first 6 months, then $90/mth Min. cost $50 Go to Site	$50/mth for first 6 months, then $90/mth Min. cost $50	Go to Site
#3	Superloop	Superloop FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Family nbn100/20 FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 95/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $21/mth off 6 months! $74/mth for 6 mths, then $95/mth + Bundle & Save $74/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $74 Go to Site	$74/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $74	Go to Site
#4	iiNet	iiNet FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn Home Fast Liimitless FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 99/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for 6 mths - $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $94.99/mth. Use code SAVE25FOR6 $69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $79.99	Link not supplied
#5	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Speedy NBN 100/20 FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for the first 6 mths, $67.90/mth for first 6 months, then $92.90/mth. $67.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.90/mth Min. cost $67.90 Go to Site	$67.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.90/mth Min. cost $67.90	Go to Site
#6	TPG	TPG FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn Home Fast Unlimited Plan FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 99/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Save $240 over 12mths! $74.99/mth for first 12 months, then $94.99/mth. Min cost $84.99 if modem returned. T&Cs apply $74.99/mth for first 12 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $74.99 Link not supplied	$74.99/mth for first 12 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $74.99	Link not supplied
#7	Belong	Belong FTTN, FTTB, FTTC NBN Premium – Unlimited FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $36 off for 6 months - $59/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth (Offer ends 04.11.26) + Free $80 Mobile SIM $59/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $59 Go to Site	$59/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $59	Go to Site
#8	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Fast nbn - Unlimited FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 94/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20 off for the first 6 months. Promo code SPRING20. $99/mth after promo ends 15.11.26 $79/mth for first 6 months, then $99/mth Min. cost $79 Link not supplied	$79/mth for first 6 months, then $99/mth Min. cost $79	Link not supplied
#9	Kogan Internet	Kogan Internet FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Gold Unlimited FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 98/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $16/mth off for 12mths. $69.90/mth for first 12 months then revert back to $85.90/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $85.90/mth Min. cost $69.90 Go to Site	$69.90/mth for first 12 mths, then $85.90/mth Min. cost $69.90	Go to Site
#10	Moose NBN	Moose NBN FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn 100/20 Elite FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $23/mth off for first 6 months - $63.80/mth for 6mths, then $86.80/mth + Get eero 7 modem for only $175 (RRP $249). $63.80/mth for first 6 mths, then $86.80/mth Min. cost $63.80 Link not supplied	$63.80/mth for first 6 mths, then $86.80/mth Min. cost $63.80	Link not supplied

What internet speed do I need for video calling

Video calling relies on both download and upload speed, given you're also sharing information from your end. For a high-quality video call, you need about 4Mbps of upload and 3Mbps of download.

Here are Zoom's speed requirements:

Zoom speed requirements

Quality	Download Speed	Upload Speed
1:1 Low	0.6Mbps	0.6Mbps
1:1 720p	1.2Mbps	1.2Mbps
1:1 1080p	3Mbps	3.8Mbps
Group Low	0.6Mbps	1Mbps
Group 720p	1.8Mbps	2.6Mbps
Group 1080p	3Mbps	3.8Mbps

Other services such as Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, and Skype have a similar ballpark. If you're making video calls regularly, we’d recommend an NBN 50 plan thanks to its faster upload speed - especially if there's more than one person in your household.

What internet speed do I need for backing up files

Backing up files to services like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox relies on your upload speed rather than your download speed. You can still back up files on a slow connection, it will just take longer. Here's a comparison of how long it will take to upload 10GB across the six NBN speed tiers.

Time to back up a 10GB file

NBN Speed Tier	Upload Time
NBN 12	24 hours
NBN 25	4.75 hours
NBN 50	1.2 hours
NBN 100 / 20	1.2 hours
NBN 100 / 40	35 minutes
NBN 250	1 hour
NBN 1000	28 minutes

It's also worth noting that if your internet connection gets interrupted, it may cancel your upload and you may have to start the process again. As such, we'd recommend an NBN 50 plan tends for typical backup needs. Most NBN 100 plans have the same upload speed, and NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans don't really represent as much of an upgrade in upload speeds as they do download.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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