Yes, 150 Mbps is a fast internet speed in 2024. In fact, 60-70% of people in Arizona, California, and Texas use service plans that offer such speeds. It's ideal for small businesses, offices, and medium-sized households with 7-9 people. But is it right for you, or do you need a slightly higher 200 Mbps or 300 Mbps internet?
For starters, you can enjoy seamless HD & 4K video streaming, Zoom calls, web browsing and use it for working from home, gaming, and streaming. This plan lets you download large data files or HD videos in 5 minutes. All this can be done with almost 10-15 active devices.
How Fast is 150 Mbps?
The internet speed of 150 Mbps is fast enough to perform almost all work and entertainment-related activities on more than 10 actively connected devices. Different download speeds are required for different activities, and here I have listed some popular ones.
See for yourself if the 150 Mbps internet can handle the activities you perform!
| Activities | Required Download Speed | Required Upload Speed | Can 150 Mbps support it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media | 500 - 2000 Kbps | 200 - 300 Kbps | Yes |
| Messaging & Email | 100 Kbps | 12.5 Kbps | Yes |
| Web Browsing | 100 - 1000 Kbps | 12.5 - 125 Kbps | Yes |
| WhatsApp Voice Call | 100 Kbps | 12.5 Kbps | Yes |
| WhatsApp Video Call | 2-3 Mbps | 250-300 Kbps | Yes |
| Skype HD Call | 1-3 Mbps | 125 - 300 Kbps | Yes |
| Skype Group HD Call | 4-5 Mbps | 500 - 600 Kbps | Yes |
| Zoom HD Call | 3.5-4 Mbps | 400 - 500 Kbps | Yes |
| Zoom Group HD Call | 4-5 Mbps | 500 - 600 Kbps | Yes |
| Watching YouTube Videos [480p] | 500 - 1000 Kbps | 200 Kbps | Yes |
| Watching YouTube Videos [1080p] | 2-3 Mbps | 250 - 300 Kbps | Yes |
| Streaming Netflix [720p] | 1.5-2 Mbps | 250 Kbps | Yes |
| Streaming Netflix [1080p] | 5-7 Mbps | 600-800 Kbps | Yes |
| Online Gaming | 3-4 Mbps | 300 - 400 Kbps | Yes |
| Streaming Audio Music | 400 Kbps | 50 Kbps | Yes |
But how does 150 Mbps WiFi perform various activities on multiple devices? Let’s find out!
Is 150 Mbps Good for Gaming?
Well, it depends upon the type of games you want to play, like single-player or multiplayer, console gaming or cloud gaming, and their file size. The optimal speed for console gaming is 25 Mbps, while for cloud gaming, it is 30 Mbps or more.
To enjoy multiplayer gaming at 4K resolution at 30-60 FPS for mid or high-range titles, you must have a 50 Mbps speed. You can play multiplayer games at 25 Mbps or plans less than 50 Mbps, but it usually causes latency and packet loss if other devices consume the high-data content simultaneously.
But with a 150 internet speed, I have faced no latency or packet issues while playing mid or some high-range titles. However, a slight latency of 10ms or more can be observed during multiplayer gaming with high-end titles if other devices are consuming HD content simultaneously and you don't have a gaming-centric modem.
Is 150 Mbps Good for Streaming?
Yes, 150 Mbps is fast enough for streaming YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and more.
A minimum requirement to run an HD-quality YouTube video without buffering is a 15-20 Mbps plan. And with this speed plan, you can stream such videos smoothly on 5+ devices simultaneously.
Now, Is 150 Mbps speed good enough for Netflix streams? Indeed, it is.
To stream 4K/UHD Netflix content lag-free on a single device, you require a minimum of 25-50 Mbps plan. So, with this plan, around 5-6 devices/users can enjoy their favorite shows or movies in UHD resolution without disturbing the bandwidth.
If everyone in your family has a dedicated Spotify or Amazon Music playlist, they can play them simultaneously on their devices. Music streaming requires less bandwidth (generally 2-3 Mbps) than video streaming. So, with this plan, everyone can enjoy their favorite tracks on more than 20 devices.
To stream a 2-3 hour movie without buffering, you need a minimum of 25-30 Mbps bandwidth on a single device. So, with 150 internet (~130 Mbps download speed), you can stream HD movies smoothly on a maximum of 4 devices simultaneously.
Is 150 Mbps Good for Working From Home?
Getting high bandwidth on video calls for a lag-free experience is crucial for small businesses, startups, and people working from home. So, is a 150 Mbps plan enough for multiple Zoom or Google Meet calls?
Well, it depends upon the upload speed offered by your ISP. With a 150 Mbps connection, you generally get up to 20 Mbps upload speed. With this much speed, you can:
- Zoom or Google Meet Calls: The optimal speed for lag-free Zoom or Google Meet calls is 4 Mbps on a single device. So, with a 20 Mbps upload speed, you can simultaneously have HD video calls on 4 or more devices.
- HD Skype Calls: Skype calls require less bandwidth (generally 2-3 Mbps) than Zoom/Google Meet calls. With a 20 Mbps upload speed, you can have skype calls on 6-7 devices at a time.
Downloading Files with 150 Mbps Internet
The above list indicated the minimum download speed required for daily crucial activities and the number of devices supported by this speed plan. But how much time does the plan take to download files of various sizes?
On average, an internet 150 Mbps plan offers up to 30-14 MBps download speed. (MB = Megabytes, Mb = Megabits)
For your reference, here I have listed a few:
| Type & Size of File | Download Duration |
|---|---|
| Apps and Games [Up to 40 GB] | 35-40 minutes |
| Email Attachments [Up to 25 MB] | 8-10 Seconds |
| Music album [Up to 500 MB] | <1 min |
| High Quality Photos [Upto 20 MB] | 5-6 seconds |
| A 2-hour long movie in HD quality [upto 8 GB] | 10-15 minutes |
| HD Videos [Upto 2-3 GB] | 4-5 minutes |
I also tried downloading and playing various title ranges on my 150 Mbps plan, and here are my findings:
| Type | File Size | Downloading Time | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-Range Titles (007 - Quantum of Solace, Portal 2, Among Us, Darkest Dungeon, Hotline Miami) | 200 MB - 10 GB | 30seconds - 15 minutes | No latency |
| Mid-Range Titles (Age of Empires 2, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, World of Warcraft) | 30 GB - 70 GB | 25 minutes - 50 minutes | 0-5 ms (when other devices are also consuming HD content) |
| High-Range Titles (Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Hitman 2, Call of Duty, Final Fantasy 15) | 80 - 150 GB | 60 minutes - 140 minutes | 5-10 ms (when other devices are also consuming HD content) |
The Cost of 150 Mbps Service Plans
The average monthly cost of a 150 Mbps WiFi plan in the US is around $30-$40, depending upon your region, Internet Service provider, and offer you get.
Note that the majority of service providers offer a 200 Mbps plan instead of a 150 Mbps speed package, which provides almost the same or better download and upload speed at an affordable price range.
Some of the preferred 150 internet service providers you can consider for this or higher plans are:
| Internet Provider | Service Package | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century Link | Simply Unlimited Internet | Up to 100 Mbps | Upto 15 Mbps | $50/Mo |
| Higher Plans | ||||
| Spectrum | Internet 200 | Up to 200 Mbps | Up to 20 Mbps | $49.99 / Mo |
| Cox | Preferred 250 | Up to 250 Mbps | Up to 25 Mbps | $59.99 / Mo |
| Xfinity by Comcast | Performance Pro Internet | Up to 300 Mbps | Up to 30 Mbps | $39.99 / Mo |
| Verizon Fios | 300/300 Mbps | Up to 300 Mbps | Up to 30 Mbps | $24.99 / Mo |
150 Mbps vs Other Speeds: Quick Comparison
| Internet Plan | Download Speed* | Upload Speed | Summary | Ideal Users | Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Mbps | 0.625 MB/s | 768 Kbps | Slow | 1 | Browsing on Single Device |
| 10 Mbps | 1.25 MB/s | 1.7 Mbps | Basic | 2 | Browsing on 2 Devices |
| 25 Mbps | 3.125 MB/s | 3 Mbps | Average | 3 | Browsing on 2-3 Devices |
| 50 Mbps | 6.25 MB/s | 10 Mbps | Good | 4 | Social Media / Content Creation |
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s | 11 - 12 Mbps | Very Good | 5 | High-Graphic Gaming on Consoles |
| 200 Mbps | 25 MB/s | 20 - 25 Mbps | Decent | 10 | HD Streaming on Multiple Devices |
| 300 Mbps | 37.5 MB/s | 32 Mbps | Better | 15 | Home Use with a Few Smart Gadgets |
| 400 Mbps | 50 MB/s | 35 Mbps | Fast | 20 | Small Offices / Small Businesses |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 MB/s | 60 Mbps | Very fast | 25 | Modern Homes with Lots of Gadgets |
| Gigabit | 125 MB/s | 100 - 120 Mbps | High-Speed | 30 | Hotels, Hostels, or Office Premises |
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends upon the content type, size, and resolution you want to consume on various devices. Ideally, an internet speed of 150 Mbps can support 6 devices to consume Ultra-HD content smoothly. However, in case of low-resolution content consumption 8 or more devices can be supported by this plan.
Yes, it is. You can manage daily office tasks like uploading or downloading large data files, Skype or Zoom calls, running heavy editing software, voice calls, etc., on 6 devices or more.
It completely depends on your requirement and the number of devices you wish to connect. For 3-4 devices, 100 Mbps internet is more than enough for HD content streaming, online gaming, web browsing, etc. However, for 6 or more devices and heavy multiplayer gaming requirements, 150 Mbps or higher speed would be suitable for a smooth experience.
The 150 Mbps internet plan is suitable for connecting 5-6 devices for online gaming, HD video & voice calls, and web browsing. But a lot depends upon the upload and download speed offered by ISP. The higher they are, the smoother the performance. So compare and check various plans carefully before making a final call.
