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Yes, 200 Mbps internet is fast, however, it is not as fast as 400 Mbps. Still, it is an ideal service package for small homes and workplaces having 8-10 users. It can handle most day-to-day activities quite easily and is good enough for gaming, streaming, and working from home.

With this speed, you can stream Netflix videos in HD quality, do video and audio calls, share and download large files and upload YouTube videos. It is definitely above the average internet speed in the US. But is 200 Mbps fast enough for all your needs?

What are the real upload and download speeds? Is it worth subscribing to this service package? To answer all such questions, I tested a 200 Mbps plan from CenturyLink for three weeks, and Here is what I found:

How Fast is 200 Mbps?

How Fast is 200 Mbps

Almost 8-10 devices can share an internet speed of 200 Mbps to carry out huge data-related tasks like uploading videos and downloading large files. Have a look at the following table to have a better idea of this plan.

ActivitiesRequired Download
Speed
Required Upload
Speed
Can 200 Mbps
support it?
Social Media500 - 2000 Kbps200 - 300 KbpsYes
Messaging & Email100 Kbps12.5 KbpsYes
Web Browsing100 - 1000 Kbps12.5 - 125 KbpsYes
WhatsApp Voice Call100 Kbps12.5 KbpsYes
WhatsApp Video Call2-3 Mbps250-300 KbpsYes
Skype HD Call1-3 Mbps125 - 300 KbpsYes
Skype Group HD Call4-5 Mbps500 - 600 KbpsYes
Zoom HD Call3.5-4 Mbps400 - 500 KbpsYes
Zoom Group HD Call4-5 Mbps500 - 600 KbpsYes
Watching YouTube Videos [480p]500 - 1000 Kbps200 KbpsYes
Watching YouTube Videos [1080p]2-3 Mbps250 - 300 KbpsYes
Streaming Netflix [720p]1.5-2 Mbps250 KbpsYes
Streaming Netflix [1080p]5-7 Mbps600-800 KbpsYes
Online Gaming3-4 Mbps300 - 400 KbpsYes
Streaming Audio Music400 Kbps50 KbpsYes

Is 200 Mbps Fast Enough for Gaming?

Well, average online games need a download speed of up to 5 Mbps. And 1.5-5 Mbps of upload speed. So, the 200 Mbps WiFi can be shared between almost 30 devices simultaneously.

But you are likely to get an upload speed of 20-100 Mbps with this plan, so only 4 games can be played in the worst-case scenario. And for higher throughput and low-ping, you should have a gaming-friendly modem.

Another aspect of 200 Mbps internet for gaming is updating and downloading the games. With the 200 Mbps connection, downloading high-end games might take some time. For example, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for PC has a huge size of 231 GB. It will take approximately 3 hours to download this game.

In that case, you need to be patient. However, downloading mid-end and low-end games is a matter of seconds. Call of Duty: Mobile is 1.95 GB and can be downloaded in 2 minutes or less.

Is 200 Mbps Good for Streaming?

Data usage in streaming depends on the quality of the videos you watch. For example, streaming 4K videos need a speed between 25-50 Mbps. So, with a 200 Mbps speed, you can stream up to 8-16 4K videos.

Now you might wonder, is 200 Mbps fast enough for Netflix? You need a bandwidth between 5-7 Mbps for Netflix HD videos. So, approximately 28-40 devices can share the 200 Mbps WiFi simultaneously. This speed is more than enough for a family or even small workplaces.

YouTube standard videos require a download speed of 0.5 to 1 Mbps. Doing the maths, you can play more than 300 videos simultaneously. For HD videos, this number will reduce to 80-100 devices, which is still fast enough for most households.

Audio streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple music require 0.4-0.6 Mbps internet speed. With this plan, you can stream more than 300 songs simultaneously. For the best experience, I'd suggest getting routers good for streaming.

Is 200 Mbps Good For Working From Home?

Working from home majorly focuses on web browsing on 2-3 devices, video watching (for research), the team calls on Skype/Zoom, etc.

Zoom calls need a download speed of up to 3 Mbps and an upload speed of 3.8 Mbps. So, ideally, with the 200 Mbps speed, you can make up to 60 Zoom calls. But upload speed with this plan varies from 20-100 Mbps. So, in reality, you can make 5-20 Zoom HD calls.

Likewise, Skype calls need 1-3 Mbps of bandwidth. So, almost 40-50 Skype calls can be made with this plan. Similarly, you can make approximately 100-150 WhatsApp voice calls while 7-25 WhatsApp video calls.

The Cost of 200 Mbps Internet

How much you need to pay for the 200 Mbps connection depends on your subscription plan and region. The average price ranges between $30-$60/month.

Internet Providers with 200 Mbps Plan

Internet ProviderService PlanMax Download SpeedMax Upload SpeedPrice
WOWWAY!Internet 200200 Mbps10 Mbps$30 / Mo
MediacomInternet 200200 Mbps10 Mbps$40 / Mo
Breezeline200 Mbps200 Mbps10 Mbps$40 / Mo
WindstreamKinetic 200200 Mbps10 Mbps$37 / Mo

How Good Is 200 Mbps Download Speed?

Type & Size of FileDownload Duration
Apps and Games [Up to 40 GB]25-30 Minutes
Email Attachments [Up to 25 MB]1 Second
HD Movies [Up to 3 GB]2 Minutes
HD Music Album [Up to 500 MB]20 Seconds
1080p Videos [Up to 1.5 GB]1 Minute

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 200 Mbps suitable for working from home?

Yes, 200 Mbps speed is excellent for working from home. The bandwidth allows you to do crystal clear video calls and internet calls, download email attachments, and surf the web and social media easily.

How many devices can a 200 Mbps connection support?

It depends upon the usage. On average, almost 8 devices can steam ultra HD videos simultaneously, and approximately 100+ devices can surf social media simultaneously.

200 Mbps vs 400 Mbps: Which is better?

Internet speed between 100-200 Mbps is good enough for most households having general usage like streaming videos, doing video calls, surfing the web, etc. But if you are more into online gaming, an internet speed of 400 Mbps is much better. Before deciding on any plan, you must consider the number of people and devices using it.

100 Mbps vs 200 Mbps: What’s the difference?

100 Mbps speed is good for 1-2 users sharing the same plan. But if your requirement is more, like 7-8 users, 200 Mbps is the ideal speed. With this internet speed, you can carry out your day-to-day internet-related tasks much more easily.

The internet speed of 200 Mbps is pretty quick in carrying out your most work. However, continuous data-intensive tasks like uploading videos on YouTube or playing heavy online games, dealing with clients on continuous video calls, etc., on multiple devices might require higher internet speeds such as 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1000 Mbps.

In that case, you need to see how many devices and users are sharing the plan. So, before subscribing to any plan, you must have clarity on this aspect.