How much speed do you actually need
The per-person arithmetic for sizing a business connection, and the complaints that more speed will never fix.
How much speed does a team your size use?
Work it out from headcount rather than guessing. Allow roughly 1 to 2 Mbps per person for email and browsing, 3 to 5 if your work lives in cloud software, and 2 to 3 more per person on video calls. Add about twenty percent headroom. Most small offices land far below what they are sold.
| People on site | Typical fit | When to go higher |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 100–300 Mbps | Constant video calls, or large file uploads |
| 5–10 | 300–500 Mbps | Everything runs in the cloud, or you host anything on site |
| 10–25 | 500 Mbps – 1 Gbps | Heavy video, big backups, a busy guest network |
| 25+ | Gigabit and up | Multiple teams uploading at once, or a site-to-site link |
Do the sum yourself
Count concurrent users
Peak occupancy, including part-time staff and anyone on site for the busy hours.
Pick a per-person figure
1–2 Mbps for basics, 3–5 for cloud apps. Use the higher number if you are unsure.
Add the video calls
Allow 2–3 Mbps for each person likely to be on a call at the same moment.
Add anything that runs on its own
Cameras, backups, guest wifi, card terminals. Cameras in particular upload all day.
Add twenty percent
Headroom for the days that are busier than you planned for.
What is not a speed problem
- Slow wifi at the back of the building, which is a coverage problem that more speed will not fix
- One slow application, when everything else is fine
- Calls breaking up on a line with plenty of spare capacity, usually a network configuration issue
- An old router that cannot pass the speed you already pay for
Buy for next year, not the next five
Adding headcount, moving a phone system to the cloud or putting cameras in changes the answer, so leave room. But buying four times what you need is money spent every month for nothing. Most plans can be upgraded mid-term, and that is usually the cheaper bet.
Last reviewed September 14, 2026
