We saw the traditional workplace change forever during the pandemic and it has reshaped the way we work. A large percentage of companies have opted to allow their staff to continue to remotely work from home and in this blog we will explore how these changes will affect what broadband plan you choose. So what do you need from your internet plan for this new modern workspace?
This new strategy companies are adopting is called ‘hybrid working’ and now more than ever potential and current employees are prepared to sacrifice some of their salary and holidays in order to keep the hybrid working environment. This may consist of spending at least two days working from home or somewhere closer to home to avoid long travel times to get to the office.
Depending on how many days you are planning to work from home, it may be helpful to look at your current broadband plan and assess your needs in regards to speed, budget, coverage and what options are available in your area.
What speed do I need for video conferencing?
One of the most important requirements of hybrid working would have to be the ability to make video conference calls for team meetings. If your broadband speed is below the recommended minimum requirement, it will make it difficult to have a seamless experience on these calls. It will become frustrating for not only yourself but the other team members on the call. You may experience dropping out, freezing, sound issues and more. So how do you get around these issues? Make sure your broadband plan has allowances for at least 4 Mbps speed. Here’s quick list of the major video conferencing platforms and their minimum requirements to operate smoothly from your home workspace environment based on other devices drawing on the network :
- Microsoft Teams – 1 Mbps
- Google Meet – 2 Mbps
- Zoom – 1.5 Mbps
- Facetime – 128 Kbps
What’s the difference between upload and download speed?
When it comes to your internet plan, download speed relates to how quickly a device can download content from the internet. For instance, how quickly your emails download or how fast a Google search loads, these are examples of your download speed. Upload speed is the time it takes for your device to upload content to the internet, for example sending emails, transferring files, video conferencing and even posting to social media.
In Mbps, how much speed will I need to work remotely from home?
Consider 100 Mbps as a rule of thumb for good speed for most homes with an average number of devices (seven to eight) that regularly consume bandwidth on your home internet plan. To achieve crystal clear video conferencing from your home workspace a 200 Mbps plan will be plenty of bandwidth. Messages and email should download almost immediately, and there should be very low latency times or delay on internet calls. This is typically the package households will purchase for multiple internet users, and would be a great package for homes with remote workers and children who are gaming or video streaming for remote school.
Can I hotspot from my smartphone when working away from home?
When you’re out and about and want to keep in touch with your team you can simply use your Wi-Fi hotspot option on your smartphone. If you’re a remote worker but always on the move, make the most of your mobile internet plan if it’s the unlimited plan and hotspot.
We’re available today to chat to you so you can compare internet plans
Visit https://broadband.compare/ or speak to one of our friendly team members on 1300 001 958 or hello@broadband.compare