The Internet is running our lives. There’s so much that we owe to the miracle of this outstanding technology. New advancements and innovations are happening every day in the field of telecommunication. Internet service providers in the United States are coming up with plans and deals that offer faster, more reliable download speeds.
Among the plethora of these companies, many have started offering unlimited data with their service plans. However, not all of their internet plans provide this facility. There are only a limited number of data plans that come with no data limits. It is better to realize exactly how much data you will require per month before deciding upon an internet plan for yourself or the whole household.
If you are living in an urban city, most internet options are open for you. You can easily decide on any of the ISPs that offer super-fast terrestrial connections like fiber-optics. If you want speed with affordability, then you can go for cable internet. However, if you happen to be residing at a rural location, you may only get access to satellite technology like HughesNet internet.
If you’re into online gaming, you will require more data than a casual surfer/browser. If you love binge-watching or streaming in HD, that will eat up data a little too soon if you don’t have an unlimited data plan. Mentioned below are some examples of data usage that takes place in most households throughout the country.
- Data required for streaming
- Data required for online gaming
- Data required for browsing and emailing
- What if the data limit exceeds?
- Data available in Urban areas
- Data available in Rural areas
- Satellite services pros and cons
Data required for streaming
Most of us love to watch our favorite TV shows and movie titles whenever there is some free time on hand. With streaming services like Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, etc., people are getting more hooked to binge-watching than ever before. If you watch these services in HD, you will use approx. 3 GB data every hour. However, if you select standard definition video quality, this will come down to 1 GB per hour.
Similarly, music streaming applications like Apple or Spotify use around 1 GB for 7 hours of continuous streaming. Therefore, unless you have a terrestrial internet connection with unlimited data, we suggest selecting SD for streaming.
Data required for online gaming
Online gaming is the in thing these days. Almost every household in the USA has at least one gamer in the family. If we talk about serious gaming, online games like Fortnite take up 1 GB of data for around 42 rounds. Moreover, if your game goes through a software update, it can take up around 1 to 3 GB of data.
If you end up downloading a virtual game, it will use a lot of data for just the initiating sequence. If you add all these up, you will get a number, which will not work for users with data caps. You will need an internet connection without any data limits for serious online and professional level playing.
Data required for browsing and emailing
A lower-tier internet connection should be enough for you if you are a casual internet user who surfs the web and loves staying connected through emails or social media apps. You will need approx. 1 GB of data for 20 hours of browsing, and send thousands of emails with the same data.
What if the data limit exceeds?
It is something that can happen to anyone with a hard or soft data cap. Most internet service providers react to such situation in the following ways:
- They will charge you an extra fee depending upon the amount of data you use outside your monthly listed plan. Some may also charge you for simply going over the data in the first place. Most charge somewhere around $10 for an extra 50 GB that you use.
- Some internet service providers reduce your download speed to a minimum. They don’t charge any extra fees. They will allow you to keep using the internet but at throttled speeds. These can range anywhere between 1 to 3 Mbps. A bandwidth this slow will only allow users to browse the internet casually. It won’t allow for any heavy downloads.
Data available in Urban areas
Metropolitan cities or urban areas have huge advantages. All the innovation reaches them before anywhere else. They receive the best in technology, health, schooling, and all other general facilities. With super-fast fixed internet connections like cable and fiber-optic, they have the upper hand when considering telecommunication technology. The DSL plans are also available, but the speeds are considerably slower than the other two. Satellite connections also work in both rural and urban areas. However, they are not so high in demand because of their prices and download speed.
Data available in Rural areas
Rural areas do not have access to super-fast internet connections due to missing infrastructure. Satellite internet technology is all they have. It is slower in comparison to its terrestrial counterparts. The available data limit is set much lower than other connections. With small data caps, remote area residents suffer a lot when it comes to streaming, gaming, or downloading.
You will have access to approx. 10 GB to 50 GB of data if you are by any chance living in a rural community. You will not be able to stream or watch videos of any kind in HD. Because if you do, your download speed will not be good enough to last you for the remaining time of the month.
Satellite services pros and cons
Satellite internet has seen a steady rise in technological advancements during the past decade. ISPs like HughesNet have launched high-capacity internet satellites into space. It is now possible for all their customers to get a steady and reliable bandwidth. It does not depend on the price of the internet plan.
They also offer their customers additional 50 GB of data for free during the bonus zone time. Their data saver feature automatically lowers the video quality to SD so that you have more high-speed data to last you the entire month. The all-new Gen5 technology has changed how satellite internet was previously perceived. With the promise of all new Gen6 internet connections, satellite internet may become one of the most trusted and consistent internet providing services.
