Is 3.0 Mbps Internet Speed Useable? Should You Upgrade Your Internet?

Have you ever wondered how fast 3.0 Mbps Internet speed is? What can you do with 3 Mbps Internet? 

In this article, we will answer those questions for you. But first, we must start with this question: “What is 3 Mbps Internet speed?”

How fast is 3 Mbps Internet?

What does 3 Mbps Internet speed mean?

3 Mbps Internet speed offers 3 megabits per second download and 768 kilobits per second upload speeds. 

With that speed, you can download a 3MB file in 8 seconds.

So how much is 3 Mbps of Internet?

If you use Verizon’s mobile service, you need to pay $47.99 for 3.0 Mbps Internet.

You need to pay $47.99 for 3 Mbps

Is 3 Mbps fast?

A 3 Mbps Internet connection is actually not that fast. 

You may become irritated with it, particularly while trying to do bandwidth-intensive activities. 

Even browsing the web regularly won't be enjoyable at this rate.

Nevertheless, you can perform certain tasks with a 3 Mbps Internet connection, such as basic YouTube streaming and 720p Zoom calls.

For more information, continue reading!

3 Mbps for different activities

All of the following is possible with a 3 Mbps Internet connection:

Things you can do at 3 Mbps speed

It should be noted that the aforementioned information is theoretical in nature. In all likelihood, several factors will affect the subsequent figures. 

These include the proximity of the device to the router, background processes on the device, and more.

Therefore, the actual numbers probably fall considerably lower than this:

• 4 Spotify Premium streams

• 3 audio only Zoom calls

• 3 online gaming sessions

• 1 Netflix HD stream 

• 3 days and 14 hours to download Gears of War 4 (117 GB)

3 Mbps vs different speeds

It's essential to look at the performance of some other speeds to truly comprehend the 3 Mbps speed. 

That being said, it is possible for 3 Mbps to be far faster than it is, yet still somewhat slower. 

3 Mbps compared to other Internet speeds

Can I download with 3 Mbps Internet speed?

Browsing the Internet solely will take longer than normal at this speed.

Imagine downloading big files. 

Far too annoying!

You can look at the table below to get a better idea.

But note that megabit is distinct from megabyte. Your browser downloads files in megabytes whereas your Internet speed is measured in megabits. 

In general, 3 Mbps Internet speed is quite fine for single users with modest bandwidth needs. 

However, making HD calls or downloading big files is not possible.

How can I measure my Internet speed?

You can measure your Internet speed by conducting an Internet check.

Many companies provide this service and you can easily find it on Google. Just type in “Internet speed test” and voila! 

You have the tools you need!

If you are too lazy to surf the web, typing gospeedcheck.com in your browser will do the job.

An Internet speed test result

There will be 2 indexes for Internet speed: download and upload. If we simply talk about Internet speed, it is the download speed. 

As you can see, my Internet speed is 95.04 Mbps. Compared with 3 Mbps, it is a huge number, right?

Although, it is more complicated. 

I am sharing my network with 5 other people. I am also measuring my Internet speed in the middle of the night. 

At this time, my housemates are all slept. If all 5 people connect to the Internet at the same time, the speed will drop drastically.

Therefore, if you are the only one using the Internet, 3 Mbps is not that slow.

Should I upgrade my Internet plan?

It depends! 

Do you want to stream movies on Netflix? Do you want to play online games? Which type of game do you want to play?

You should answer many questions before upgrading your Internet. 

On some occasions, upgrading for Internet speed will lead to a drastic change in performance. 

On some others, you may not notice it.

For video games

FPS games require at least 30 Mbps

You need at least 25 Mbps Internet speed for gaming. 

It may not be enough with some fast-paced action games, but you can play almost any game with it. 

If you want to play FPS games like Call of Duty or Valorant, you will need more than 30 Mbps.

How fast is 30 Mbps Internet? With that speed, you can download 3.75 MB of data per second. 

If you want to download Lost Ark (50 GB), it will cost you 3 hours and 42 minutes.

For online games, ping is the most important factor. With most fast Internet services, you see low ping. 

However, Internet speed and ping are not directly related. 

If you live in the USA but want to play WoW on an EU server, your ping will be high no matter how fast your Internet is.

For videos streaming

You need 5 Mbps to stream HD videos

Opposite to video games, Internet speed plays an important role in video streaming. 

With 3.0 Mbps Internet speed, you can stream SD videos. 

Still, you need a higher speed to stream HD movies on Netflix. For HD videos, you need 5 Mbps or more.

If you want to stream 4K videos on Netflix, you will need more than 25 Mbps. Of course, you also need a 4K TV to clearly see the differences.