The pandemic caused work to move even further online, increasing the importance of both mobile internet and fixed-line internet. Regardless of which connection is used to communicate with the outside world, its speed must be adapted to the user's actual needs. These needs will be completely different for someone performing simple office tasks using the internet and for an advanced graphic designer sending large multimedia files.
A minimum internet speed of 10 Mbps is considered sufficient for online activities. These are the parameters cited, for example, by the Globe Broadband Experience Scoreboards. As noted in an analysis by the operator-offer comparison website PanWybierak.pl, “you must nevertheless bear in mind that this internet speed is sufficient for basic tasks.” These include, for example, email correspondence—preferably without large attachments—communication via WhatsApp and other applications, and watching multimedia content. However, achieving 1080p quality will be difficult in this case. Although there are cases in which 10 Mbps is even enough for communication via Teams or Zoom, for your own comfort it is definitely better to choose a connection with stronger parameters.
A safe 100 Mbps on a fixed-line connection
Two issues must be clearly distinguished here—mobile and fixed-line internet. The former, by definition, will not provide impressive speeds in most locations, even despite the dynamically developing 5G network. Fixed-line internet, on the other hand, naturally offers the possibility of reaching higher speeds, but infrastructure limitations also apply—there is no guarantee that it can be installed, for example, in many rural areas. In such places, mobile internet becomes an alternative. Meanwhile, it is precisely in these locations—while enjoying the charms of a home garden—that more and more work is being performed remotely.
It can be assumed that a safe internet speed for stable remote work is approximately 100 Mbps. This speed will not only meet all needs related to teleconferences, downloading large multimedia materials, or playing online tutorials and webinars. It will also provide some margin when the connection is shared. All it takes is for remote work to coincide with online learning conducted by two children for internet bandwidth to decrease significantly. It is therefore worth ensuring this kind of safety cushion in case the home connection has to accommodate the needs of not just one but, for example, three people actively using the internet between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Of course, if the budget allows, it is worth using higher internet speeds. The price increase is usually relatively small, while the comfort of remote work will be significantly greater.