More and more traffic is gradually moving to mobile devices. This applies to social networks, mobile games, YouTube videos, and films. In today’s realities, a desktop computer and laptop are used primarily for work and games, and for everything else, there is a smartphone. In order to use the capabilities of a modern smartphone to the maximum, you need a stable and fast Internet connection. If you are experiencing problems with Internet speed and quality, you can use 4G and 5G signal boosters in the UK and enjoy your favorite activities.
How Fast Should The Internet Be On a Smartphone?
The Internet on a smartphone is something that regularly requires improvements. It should be stable, fast, play any video in good quality, and also work in the background, updating applications and delivering email.
As practice shows, it is very difficult to achieve mobile Internet speeds at least comparable to a desktop PC. The same goes for connection stability. That is why it is recommended to know the average speed of your Internet connection, as well as most of the requirements.
A modern smartphone is most often used for the following scenarios:
- Communication on social networks;
- Communication in instant messengers and Internet telephony;
- Games;
- Vides.
Every action performed on a smartphone requires a different Internet connection speed. There is a minimum acceptable connection speed, at which everything will work stably, but not in ideal quality, and there is an optimal one, at which there will be no problems at all.
Social Networks, Video Calling, Online Movies, Games
The most undemanding of Internet speeds are social networks and games. In order to be able to read the news feed and communicate on Facebook or Instagram, an Internet connection speed of 1 Mbit/s is sufficient. Games require even lower speeds – about 512 Kbps. The only difference is that in games ping is more important, not Internet connection speed.
The second most demanding activity is classic Internet surfing. Websites take up a little more space on servers and take much longer to load. To surf the Internet comfortably, you need a speed of 1.5 Mbit/s. This will be enough to load mobile versions of sites.
Communication using a smartphone also practically does not require high Internet speed. For a regular call via Skype or instant messenger, 256 Kbps will be enough. For video communication, you need twice as much – 512 Kbps. For a conference for four (or more) people – about 5Mbit/s.
The quality of the image during a video call depends on the speed of the Internet. 5 Mbit/s is the optimal indicator for broadcasting a picture in 1080P quality. Very few mobile devices can actually produce such a picture at such a resolution, so in most cases, in order to get the most out of a webcam, an Internet speed of 1-3 Mbit/s is enough.
Watching movies online requires the most speed among all the ways to spend mobile Internet traffic. It all depends on the quality of the video:
- The minimum Internet speed for watching movies online is 0.5 Mbit/s. Recommended – from 1.5 Mbit/s;
- To watch movies in HD quality, a stable Internet connection of 5 Mbit/s is required;
- To watch movies in Ultra HD format, a 25 Mbps stable Internet connection is required.
These are direct recommendations from Netflix. It should be borne in mind that not every display can demonstrate Ultra HD quality, and in practice, a significant difference between the quality of 720p and 1080p will not always be noticeable.
YouTube And Streams
Youtube has long ago published a detailed explanation of what the Internet speed should be to watch videos in different qualities. The result is something like this:
To watch a video in 360p quality (so that at least something can be seen on a small screen), a speed of 1 Mbit/s is required. The most popular high-resolution video is 720p, for which a standard speed of 5 Mbit/s is sufficient.
The difference between 30 fps and 60 fps, according to the developers, is minimal. The picture just becomes a little smoother, but this is not so critical for the eyes. It is much more important that the Internet connection is stable, and that different video fragments are loaded in a clear sequence, without any lags.
A few words about streams. The speed requirements are similar to Youtube, but the main role is played by the stability of the Internet connection. It is extremely important that the broadcast is continuous. The recommended Internet speed in case of periodic drawdowns is two times higher than the minimum.
What Affects The Signal Quality On a Smartphone?
Theoretically, most mobile Internet tariffs are enough to use a modern smartphone to the maximum. The only thing that is not taken into account is the cellular network load and signal stability. In order for the Internet on a smartphone to work at its maximum and allow you to watch videos in high quality, the speed must be 1.5 – 2 times higher than the minimum required.
This article discusses the speed that is needed only to run a specific application. But you should understand that in the background the smartphone actually performs many other functions. Periodically updates social networks, accepts email, and updates information on games. All this also requires Internet access at good speed.
Because conditions are never ideal, the speed and quality of your Internet connection will vary significantly between situations. In order to increase the quality of the video you watch, it is recommended to close all third-party applications. Thanks to this, you can gain Internet speeds of 1-2 Mbit/s.
If you regularly stay in a room with weak 4G and 5G, we recommend using signal boosters. Such solutions are often used in country houses, business centers, and warehouses where constant communication is required.
Wrapping It Up
Using a repeater can be a good way to improve the quality of mobile Internet indoors. Repeaters allow you to improve the quality of your mobile signal, making it more stable and stronger. This can lead to improved internet speeds, reduced latency, and better sound quality on calls. We recommend contacting UCtel for help installing boosters for 4G and 5G signals in the UK. The company has extensive experience in boosting the signals of the UK’s most common mobile operators for clients across a range of industries.
