If we are talking about the supply of fast internet, the appropriate infrastructure is usually meant. However, the information provided by the manufacturers is often limited to the download and not the upload speed. However, there are significant differences between these two indicators. The German manufacturer of network technology for end customers, Devolo, pointed this out recently.
The download speed indicates the speed at which images are loaded in the web browser, videos on YouTube or file downloads. The upload speed, on the other hand, signals the speed for uploading photos to Facebook or Instagram, family videos in WhatsApp groups or file attachments in emails. Both download and upload speeds are commonly measured in megabits per second.
How the values vary
The crux of the matter: the offers from the manufacturers sometimes differ significantly for both speeds. For example, if a connection is advertised as 50 Mbit/s, it is usually only the download speed – unless these are purely theoretical values that are rarely achieved in practice. The upload speed, on the other hand, is around ten Mbit/s. Exact conditions vary depending on the contract and provider.
The differences also have historical reasons. On the one hand, data lines are limited in their capacity because they are already a few years old. On the other hand – and this is probably the most important reason – user habits are changing: Whereas in the past it was mainly consumed and downloaded, production and uploading are now more frequent on the Internet. This can mean that the next time you make a video call at work or with the family, all that is left is “pixelated mush” instead of pin-sharp images.
What can users do? There are several ways to test the speed of your own Internet connection on the Internet. It is often also advisable to take the measurements at different times of the day and to buy amplifiers that also guide the Internet signal through walls and ceilings.
Source: Nachrichten
