Before committing to any Chicago internet provider, it’s important to first determine that the plan you’re interested in matches your connectivity demands. Comparing providers is a crucial step in your decision-making process and there are several important factors to consider before making your final decision including:

• Cost
• Bandwidth
• Speed
• Bundling Options
• Contract Terms

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines fast internet as a web connection offering download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps. These standard speeds smoothly support most common online activities such as web browsing, high-definition video streaming, and file downloading.

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted via internet connection within a fixed amount of time. In simpler terms, bandwidth measures the total volume of information that can be transferred.

Learn how much bandwidth your household or business needs by determining the following factors:

• The number of people using the internet connection
• The number of devices using the internet connection
• The types of online activities users will be doing (i.e. gaming, 4K streaming, file downloading, etc.)
• The bandwidth required per each activity

For most households, at least 5 Mbps will suffice, but for larger office settings or households subject to heavy internet usage, 20 Mbps can easily accommodate all types of simultaneous streaming, downloading, and web browsing.