Internet upload speed defines the rate by, which data can be uploaded from the device to the Internet. As more individuals are now using their computers for home office or for working remotely, for transferring huge files to work, or for uploading videos on social media, upload speed is now more critical. So, as for now, which major ISP in the United States provides the highest internet upload speed? To find out I analyzed national average upload speeds from the major cable, DSL, and fiber internet service providers.
Why Upload Speed Matters
This is the reason why, notwithstanding the download speed is given much more attention when deciding which internet plan to choose, your upload speed is equally as important. Here are some reasons why your upload speed matters:
- Transferring bulk content for business. If you often have to upload files for work, such as documents, videos, presentations, and other large files, reduced upload speed can significantly negatively impact efficiency.
- The use of video calls and conferencing. Some of the frequently used video chat applications even prefer higher upload speeds to reduce buffering while streaming the videos.
- Storing data in remote locations such as ‘the cloud’. Depending on the part of the world, uploading your computer or phone data to cloud storage depends much on the upload speed.
- Online gaming. Higher upload speeds also enhance the experience in online gaming since they mean a quicker response.
- Exchange of videos and pictures. Watching videos and sharing pictures on Social Networking sites as well as Sharing services will be much easier with the increased upload rates.
Upload Speeds Across Providers
Upstream speeds could range greatly, which means that two Internet plans could have the same download speed but vastly different upload speeds. Here’s how the top providers compare:
Xfinity
The upload speeds of Xfinity are from 5 to 35 Mbps depending on the plan that is chosen by the customer. They provide unlimited data with a download speed of up to 1Gbps, but the fastest residential upload speed they offer is 50Mbps on the Gigabit Pro plan. Nevertheless, the average Xfinity upload speeds for plans that boast the ‘up to 35 Mbps’ speeds are usually below 10 Mbps during the peak periods.
AT&T
AT&T Internet offers a broad range of plans and it averages to just 1 or 5 Mbps for the upload speed. The only consumer plans that offer a faster upload are those of AT&T Fiber, with a top speed of 1 Gbps on the 1 GIG plan. For most of the AT&T DSL and Fixed Wireless plans, the High-Speed Internet service offered is not very impressive when it comes to upload rates.
Verizon Fios
Verizon Fios frequently has some of the speediest upload options which make it convenient to upload files. Currently, Verizon offers fiber-optic connections all of which have download and upload speeds of up to 940Mbps. The lower tiers are provided with uploads ranging between 50-100 Mbps.
Spectrum
Spectrum offers an impressive, 400 Mbps for both the download and upload speeds in its Ultra plan. The majority of other Spectrum packages come with 10 to 35 Mbps for upload speed. The only slow plan is Spectrum’s slowest tier with only 5 Mbps of upload speeds.
Google Fiber
Google Fiber has a top-tier broadband tier with 1 Gbps symmetrical upload and download rates. The plans that cost less are the ones that have 100 or 200 Mbps speeds. Google Fiber currently is present in only a few cities across the United States but has some impressively high upload speeds in the places it does cover.
Frontier FiberOptic
Frontier provides the fastest fiber-optic connection, which is 500/500 Mbps for upload and download. They also have a fiber plan with uploads of 50 megabits per second. However, Frontier mainly uses DSL which is comparatively slower; their fastest DSL package of internet only provides 10 Mbps for uploading.
Optimum/Altice
Optimum has recently unveiled symmetrical Altice Fiber broadband plans where both upload & download speeds are the same; they can go as fast as 500 or 1Gbps. That being said, the majority of the Optimum cable internet offers have considerably lower upload speeds with the best being at 35 Mbps.
Mediacom
In most of its Mediacom Xtream plans, the maximum upload speeds range from 10 to 50 Mbps. Whereas, their 1 GIG fiber optic plan offers a bandwidth of 100 Mbps on the upload. On the same note, although it is great to see that Mediacom has significantly improved on its uploads compared to basic cable internet services, the company’s upload speeds are not comparable to those of true fiber services.
Sparklight
Sparklight’s fiber plans include 100 to 200 Mbps for both upstream and downstream internet speeds. For typical cable broadband services, the fastest upload speeds available fall in the range of 10 to 20 Mbps. Sparklight also has impressive fiber service for uploading, while their cable internet is not as great as their competitors.
Cogeco
The fiber internet plan being provided by Cogeco in Canada is fast with 500 Mbps up and down speed. Their standard plans give uploads of between ten and thirty Mbps, however.
Key Takeaways
When making your selection with regards to a home internet service provider, you must look at the download as well as the upload speeds. Most plans, including cable internet, have this asymmetrical speed and volume – a lot of download speed, but considerably less on the upload side.
In terms of upload speed, you should try to maintain 25-50 Mbps and above for most average large file uploads. Most fiber optic packages such as Verizon Fios, AT&T Fiber, and Google Fiber have symmetrical plans with download and upload speeds of up to 1 Gbps, which are the best for uploading.
So when considering a particular provider, remember your usage requirements rather than get tempted by the high download figures that providers tend to advertise. Don’t forget to look at that upload rate also when looking for a new internet service. If you consider those slower upload times, you can quickly realize how long it may take to transfer files over the internet.
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