What internet speed you need
These figures come from Netflix and Zoom's own help pages, for one stream or one call. They are not a ranking of broadband packages, and they change when those pages change.
Mbps and megabytes
Speed tests report megabits per second (Mbps). File sizes are usually megabytes (MB). There are 8 megabits in a megabyte, so a 25 Mbps download moves a little over 3 megabytes of payload each second, before protocol overhead. A "100 meg" package is 100 megabits, not 100 megabytes per second.
Streaming one video
Netflix publishes these recommended connection speeds for a single stream:
| Quality | Resolution | Download |
|---|---|---|
| HD | 720p | 3 Mbps or higher |
| Full HD | 1080p | 5 Mbps or higher |
| Ultra HD | 4K | 15 Mbps or higher |
Source: Netflix Help Centre, internet speed recommendations. Netflix also says quality depends on the plan, the device, and a stable connection, not on the speed figure alone.
Video calls
Zoom publishes recommended bandwidth for meetings. For a one-to-one call it lists 600 kbps up and down for basic high-quality video, 1.2 Mbps up and down for 720p, and 3.8 Mbps up with 3.0 Mbps down for 1080p. For group calls it lists higher upload for 720p (2.6 Mbps up and 1.8 Mbps down) and the same 3.8 / 3.0 Mbps pair for 1080p.
Zoom says it adjusts quality to the network. Meeting the number does not force that picture quality if the account, the device, or the setting is lower.
Source: Zoom system requirements. That page also lists screen sharing, webinars and phone calls, which use different amounts.
More than one person
Two 4K streams do not politely add up to 30 Mbps and stop there. They share the link with calls, downloads and background updates, and they compete. A household where several people watch and talk at once needs more than the single-stream figure. This page does not invent a multiplier for that. Add the activities you actually do, then leave some spare.
Upload
Video calls, sending large files and some cloud backups need upload. Many home packages offer a much lower upload than download. Read both numbers from a test. A fast download with a thin upload still struggles to send a clear camera picture.
Latency, jitter and games
Ping is delay, in milliseconds. Jitter is how much that delay jumps around. Browsing tolerates a fairly high ping. Fast online games and quick back-and-forth in a call are more sensitive, and uneven delay can make audio choppy even when the average ping looks fine.
The ping from this test is the delay to this server only. A game server in another country will not match it. There is no single ping figure that makes every game play well, so this page does not invent one.