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?”

Is your internet THAT slow?

What does 3 Mbps internet speed mean?

3 Mbps internet speed means the connection can transfer 3 Megabits per second. Those numbers will show up on the Internet service providers’ plan. They are also a major factor to consider when choosing your internet.

How fast is 3 Mbps internet? 

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

How good is 3 Mbps internet? 

It is not the best for online gaming and videos streaming. Although, it is usable.

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

How can I measure my internet speed?

You can measure your internet speed by conducting an internet speed test. Many companies provide this service and you can easily find it on Google. Just type in “internet speed test” and voila! You have the tool you need!

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

My 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 not that simple. 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 FPS games like Call of Duty, you need at least 30 Mbps

For video games

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. Although, 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.

You need 5 Mbps for streaming HD videos

For videos streaming

Opposite to video games, internet speed plays an important role in video streaming. With 3.0 Mbps internet speed, you can stream SD videos. Although, you need 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.