Long loading times. Ping. Lag. Each word is enough to send a shiver down any gamer’s spine. For the best gaming experience, you need internet that can keep up. While there are many options for internet service, they aren’t all created equal. So, what’s actually the best internet for gaming? Let’s go over 6 reasons why it’s fiber internet FTW (“for the win,” n00bs!).
1. Fiber internet delivers the speed you need for gaming
Quantum Fiber internet can deliver speeds up to 940 Mbps. The bare minimum speed you need to play games online is between 3 to 4 Mbps. For online, multiplayer gameplay, you probably need 25 to 50 Mbps. So, 940 Mbps might seem like overkill. But in today’s connected world, it’s definitely not.
Keep in mind that those speeds are just for one person. Your speeds will also be impacted by the other technology you have running simultaneously in your home. Everything you connect to your internet eats up bandwidth, and that can affect speed. If you have a lot of IoT devices, or people in your household who want to game or stream at the same time, you’re going to need some extra Mbps. Like, in the 940 Mbps range. That will keep everyone lag- and buffer-free.
2. Gamers need symmetrical upload and download speeds
As more and more gaming systems come out without a disc drive, gamers increasingly rely on downloading content to their devices. As you may already know, large files can take a long time to download (over 24 hours in some cases). Fiber offers fast download speeds, so you can enjoy your downloads faster.
We also see an increasing number of systems that stream games, like Google Stadia and Microsoft’s xCloud. For optimal performance, you need good download speeds. Streaming works to deliver tiny pieces of data to your device continually. For that process to run smoothly, you need at least 5-8 Mbps for HD content and 25 Mbps for ultra-high-definition or 4K streaming. And remember, that’s just for each person who’s streaming.
But what about upload speeds? If you like to game online, upload speeds matter. For streamers and professional gamers, upload speeds are doubly important. While many internet service providers offer decent download speeds, they don’t always have the best upload speeds. That’s where fiber internet shines. With symmetrical upload and download speeds, you can game and stream to your heart’s content.
3. Gaming with high bandwidth internet
Internet speed and bandwidth are often used interchangeably, but there’s a difference. Bandwidth refers to how much information you can send over your internet connection during a given amount of time. Low bandwidth means lower speeds.
There are lots of factors that can affect your bandwidth. If multiple users are all using the internet at the same time, that can make an impact. Devices that use WiFi in the background, like your smart fridge or smart gym equipment, can also eat up a little portion. And the further away you are from your router, the more your bandwidth may be affected.
Fiber internet is high bandwidth. That’s because of the way it is constructed. Since fiber optics can send data at very high speed, there’s less chance of a clog in the bandwidth pipe. Data can move freely and quickly, and fiber optics can handle high volumes of data too. When your whole family is using the internet simultaneously, it is much less likely to affect your speeds. And with a residential gateway from Quantum Fiber, you’ll get the highest bandwidth thanks to WiFi 6.
4. Fiber internet is reliable
Now that we’ve talked about speed, symmetrical speeds, and bandwidth, let’s look at the importance of reliable internet for gaming. There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to play online when the internet is down—not to mention buffering or long loading times.
Fiber internet doesn’t just deliver when it comes to speeds and bandwidth. The Quantum Fiber network is 99.9% reliable*. That’s because fiber optic cables aren’t susceptible to severe weather than other internet technologies. That helps reduce outages, leaving you free to game with no worries.
5. Fiber internet has low latency.
When you push a button on your controller or click your mouse during a high-stakes multiplayer game, you need it to work—fast. Latency refers to how quickly you can send a command to the game and have the game show that action. Basically, your controller action is sent to the game’s server and back, and latency measures how long that takes in something called “ping.”
High latency is caused by several factors. Sometimes, it’s just the type of internet you have (like satellite). At other times, you may experience high latency if your gaming system is a significant distance from your router. Old or outdated routers can also influence latency.
Since fiber internet uses light and optical fibers, it can transmit data at nearly the speed of light. Because of this, you don’t have to worry about high latency as much as with other internet technologies. Fiber internet helps your commands travel to the gaming server and back lickety-split.
6. Skip the data caps with Quantum Fiber
If you’re downloading many games or streaming them, data caps can quickly become a problem. Some video games these days top 160 GB. That’s a lot to download, and it can quickly use up a lot of data. Streaming games through Google Stadia could eat up as much as 15.75 GB per hour of use. That’s also a lot of data, and if your internet service provider has a data cap, your gaming may hit a wall.
Fortunately, there are no data caps with Quantum Fiber. We want you to enjoy all your connected devices whenever you want, and we built our 100% fiber-optic network so you can do more of what you love.
The best internet for gaming
Fiber internet can deliver the kind of internet connection that gamers need. It’s here for your downloads and uploads. Quantum Fiber delivers gaming content fast, and without data caps.
Quantum Fiber is proud to offer a fiber-optic network with speeds up to 940 Mbps, 99.9% reliability*, and symmetrical upload and download speeds. Check to see if our game-changing fiber internet is available near you today.
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