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01People online
The more people using the connection at the same time, the more useful extra broadband capacity becomes.
Count simultaneous users
CompareWise Broadband Guide · 2026
What broadband speed do I need?Enough for your home — without overbuying.
The right speed depends less on one device and more on what your whole household does at the same time. Start with the people, devices and activities sharing your connection.
Start with your household
Six things that influence how much speed you need
Broadband demand is cumulative. One video call may be easy to handle, but several streams, calls, downloads and devices at the same time can change what feels comfortable.
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02Connected devices
Phones, TVs, laptops, consoles, cameras and smart-home devices all share the same connection, although they do not all use heavy bandwidth constantly.
Think beyond laptops
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03Streaming quality
Multiple high-resolution video streams create more demand than ordinary browsing, email or music streaming.
Video adds up
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04Gaming & downloads
Gaming itself is not always bandwidth-heavy, but large game downloads, updates and several users online together can benefit from faster plans.
Downloads need headroom
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05Work & study
Video calls, cloud applications, file transfers and several people working or studying from home can increase both download and upload requirements.
Upload matters too
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06Future headroom
A little spare capacity can be useful as devices and usage grow, but buying dramatically more speed than you use can mean paying for little practical benefit.
Leave sensible headroom
Practical speed guide
A useful starting point for NZ broadband speeds
These ranges are guides rather than guarantees. Your connection type, provider, network conditions, home setup and Wi-Fi can all affect the speed experienced on individual devices.
Around 100 Mbps
Everyday broadband
A useful starting point for smaller or lighter-use households.
Typical activities
Browsing, social media, HD/4K streaming, video calls, study and ordinary work-from-home use.
Around 300–500 Mbps
Busy household broadband
A strong middle ground for homes with several people and devices online together.
Typical activities
Multiple streams, gaming, video calls, remote work, study and larger downloads happening at the same time.
Around 900 Mbps–1 Gbps
High-performance broadband
Worth considering for large or particularly heavy-use households.
Typical activities
Several demanding users, frequent large downloads, multiple gamers, cloud work and lots of simultaneous activity.
2 Gbps+
Hyperfibre
Specialist capacity for households with exceptionally high bandwidth requirements.
Typical activities
Very large file transfers, advanced creator workflows, high-end connected homes and users who can genuinely benefit from multi-gigabit capacity.
Don't forget upload
Download speed gets the attention. Upload can matter too.
Download speed affects how quickly information reaches you. Upload speed affects how quickly you send data out — useful for video calls, cloud backups, large file transfers and content creation.
If several people regularly work from home or send large files, compare both numbers rather than looking only at the advertised download speed.
A simple rule
Choose for your busiest normal moment.
Think about an evening when one person is streaming, another is gaming, someone is on a video call and phones or smart devices are connected in the background.
You do not need to engineer for an extreme once-a-year event, but you do want enough capacity for the household's normal busy periods.
Find plans for my usage →Speed myths
More Mbps doesn't solve every internet problem
“The fastest plan is always the best.”
More speed gives you more capacity, but that does not automatically make it better value. A well-matched lower tier may feel just as good for everyday use.
“Gaming means I need Gigabit Fibre.”
Online gaming usually values latency and connection stability as much as raw bandwidth. Faster tiers help most with large downloads and when many users share the connection.
“Wi-Fi speed and broadband speed are the same thing.”
They are related but different. Your broadband plan feeds the home connection; Wi-Fi performance also depends on your router, device, distance, interference and home layout.
Let the household decide
Tell CompareWise how you use the internet.
Our broadband journey considers household size, usage and priorities alongside what is available at your address.
Find my broadband matches →Frequently asked questions
Choosing broadband speed
Is 100 Mbps broadband fast enough?
For many smaller or lighter-use households, around 100 Mbps can comfortably support everyday browsing, streaming, video calls, study and work-from-home activity. A busier household with several demanding users online together may benefit from a higher tier.
Is 500 Mbps enough for a family?
Around 300 to 500 Mbps can be a strong fit for many busy households because it provides substantial capacity for several people to stream, game, work, study and use connected devices at the same time. Individual needs still vary.
Do I need Gigabit broadband for gaming?
Not necessarily. Gaming does not automatically require a Gigabit connection. Latency and stability matter, while higher download speeds are especially useful for large game downloads, updates and homes where several people are doing bandwidth-heavy activities at once.
When is Hyperfibre worth considering?
Hyperfibre is most relevant when a household genuinely needs multi-gigabit capacity, such as very large file transfers, advanced creator or technical workflows, many demanding users or high-end connected-home requirements. Many households will not need that level of speed.
Why can my Wi-Fi feel slow even on a fast broadband plan?
Your plan speed is only one part of the experience. Router placement, Wi-Fi technology, walls, distance, interference, device capability and whether you use Wi-Fi or Ethernet can all affect the speed experienced on an individual device.
Speed ranges on this page are general guidance rather than guarantees. Actual broadband performance depends on connection type, provider, network conditions, equipment, Wi-Fi, devices and address. Provider specifications and final plan terms apply.