With an internet speed of 5mbps, you can expect to download files at about 610.35 KB/sec. Currently, the minimum speed requirements set by the FCC in order to be classified as high speed broadband is at least 25 mbps down and 3 mbps up.
When taking minimum high speed broadband requirements into account, having a speed of only 5 mbps download is relatively slow. This is not considered a good or fast speed if you are planning on using this for streaming video or have multiple users using it at the same time in a household.
If we put this into the real world, having a speed of 5 mbps means you will be able to browse the internet as well as open emails, play online video games, as well as stream your favorite tv show on Netflix in standard definition.
Examples of File Sizes and Download Times Using 5mbps
The following is a small table showing some common file sizes and the time it would take to download these files if your internet speed was 5 mbps.
| Amount of Data | Amount of Time to Download |
| 25mb | 41 seconds |
| 50mb | 1 minute 23 seconds |
| 100mb | 2 minutes 47 seconds |
Is 5 Mbps Slow for Internet?
There are definitely slower internet speeds available, but that doesn’t mean 5 mbps isn’t slow. 5 mbps is definitely a slow internet speed to have. With the minimum required speed to be considered high speed broadband is 25 mbps, this is almost 5 times slower.
Basic internet browsing, opening emails, and playing online video games will all be possible with this speed of internet, but where you may run into trouble is when you decide to stream in high quality, or have multiple users using the internet at the same time.
Is 5 Mbps Fast Enough for Netflix?
| Netflix Stream | Broadband Internet Speed |
| Standard Definition (SD) | 3mbps |
| High Definition (HD) | 5mbps |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | 25mbps |
Netflix has their own minimum internet requirements which can be found by clicking here. The minimum internet speed required to run their service at this time is 1.5 mbps. However, standard definition requires a minimum of 3 mbps, while high definition requires at least 5 mbps.
This means with a speed of 5 mbps, you will be able to successfully stream one stream at a high definition. If you are trying to watch a stream in Ultra HD or 4K, be prepared to encounter stream issues like buffering, and long loading times.
Is 5 Mbps Fast Enough for YouTube?
| Video Quality/Resolution | Recommended Internet Speed |
|---|---|
| 4K | 20 Mbps |
| HD 1080p | 5 Mbps |
| HD 720p | 2.5 Mbps |
| SD 480p | 1.1 Mbps |
According to Youtube, with an internet speed of 5 mbps, you should be able to run high definition 1080p. Subsequently, the lower you set the stream quality, the more streams/better the current stream will be able to run.
Is 5 Mbps Fast Enough to Work From Home?
Working from home requires a stable an fast internet connection, especially if you want to be efficient. 5 mbps internet is probably what we would call the bare minimum speed if you are planning on working from home. You will be able to browse the web, open and send emails, as well as download files at a moderate speed.
If your job requires the sending or recieving of very large files (100 mbps+) then your work efficiency may slightly have a bottle neck due to only downloading files at a maximum speed of 610 KB/sec. This will even be lower for the upload as most internet services are not sequential up/down speeds unless you are using pure fiber optics.
Having a better internet speed of at least 25 mbps is more recommended if you are working from home. This speed is 5 times faster than 5 mbps and will also have a bare minimum upload speed of 5 mbps to couple with it.
Zoom
Another reason that you want to have a good internet speed when working from home is for video and voice calling. Zoom is used in just about every online work instance due to the increasing popularity of working from home.
In order to satisfy the minimum internet requirements for Zoom, you must have at least 3.8 mbps down and at least 3 mbps up in order to stream 1 on 1 video and group calls in 1080p.
The minimum internet speed requirements for 1 on 1 video and group calling in 1080p quality is 3.8mbps down and at least 3mbps up. Having 75mbps internet far exceeds these minimum requirements, you just need to make sure the upload is at least 3mbps as well.
Is 5 Mbps Internet Fast Enough for Gaming?
Online gaming with a speed of 5 mbps is possible, but it is cutting it very close to the minimum requirements to have a good online experience when it comes to lag and ping. The minimum recommended internet speed set by many online gaming retailers is at least 3 mbps down and 1 mbps up.
This should suffice to have a ping of around 40-100ms depending on how stable your internet connection is. Having high download and upload speeds aren’t just good for ping, but will come in handy when needing to download huge patches, updates, or full video games as these files tend to be very large.
If Wifi is your primary connection point, then we recommend using a high speed gaming router to help keep your as low as possible. Click here to check out the wide selection of Netgear Wifi Gaming Routers on Amazon.
Is 5 Mbps Fast Enough for a Family?
A speed of only 5 mbps is not going to be fast enough to be shared in an entire household. If all the users will be doing basic web browsing and opening emails, then this should suffice. The moment someone decides to play video games, or start streaming, the internet will take a deep dive in terms of speed.
Final Thoughts
A download speed of 5 mbps translates to a download speed of about 610.35 KB/sec. This speed is also about 5 times slower than the minimum high speed broadband threshold of 25 mbps down and 3 mbps up.
Expect it to perform well with basic web browsing, opening/sending emails, and downloading small files. This speed is not really recommended if your primary goal with your internet is to have the best online gaming experience, or the best quality video streams as this speed is not able to support 4K.
Working from home with an internet speed of 5 mbps will be possible, but if the need to download or send large files (100 mbps+) then it is recommended to go with a higher internet speed like 25 mbps.