Symmetrical vs Asymmetrical Internet Explained

Key Takeaways

Most internet providers emphasize one big number in their ads: download speeds. But if you’ve ever had a video call become choppy the moment your kids power on their gaming consoles, you may have already felt the impact of asymmetrical internet.

In this guide, we’ll explain what it means to have symmetrical internet, and why many of your favorite online activities work better when your upload speeds are just as fast as your download speeds.

• Asymmetrical internet, commonly offered by cable or DSL providers, delivers slower upload speeds than download speeds — which can create bottlenecks during video calls, cloud backups and file sharing.
• Symmetrical internet provides equal upload and download speeds, making it one of fiber optic internet's biggest advantages for modern households.
• Real-time activities like video calls, online gaming and cloud-based work benefit most from symmetrical speeds because they require fast data transfer in both directions simultaneously.
• If you mostly browse, scroll social media and stream shows, an asymmetrical plan may meet your needs.
• Remote workers, gamers, content creators and anyone who regularly backs up files, uses cloud apps or joins video meetings will notice a significant difference with symmetrical speeds.
• When comparing internet plans, look beyond the advertised download speed — the upload speed often determines how your connection actually feels day-to-day.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to understand and explain what symmetrical speeds are and why they’re important.

• Upload speed, or how fast you send data somewhere else: Many providers don’t mention this number, especially if it’s much slower than your download speeds. However, this detail is essential for understanding the quality of the service.
  
  Here are a few activities that lean heavily on fast upload speeds:
• Video calls where your camera feed is sending data elsewhere, with apps like Zoom, Discord, Teams, FaceTime, Snapchat or Messenger.
• Uploading large files for work, school, photography, audio or video projects.
• Backing up your computer or phone to the cloud.
• Posting videos or photo albums to social media.
• Livestreaming gameplay or video content to services like Twitch.

Depending on your provider and the technology they use to deliver your connection, upload speeds can vary wildly. For example, some plans may advertise “up to 1,000 Mbps” download speeds, but they only deliver around 35 Mbps upload speeds.

Many of today’s apps and online activities send (upload) and receive (download) data at the same time. For example, during video meetings, everyone is both sending and receiving video and audio to and from everyone in the call. It’s activities like these where the relationship between your download and upload speeds becomes noticeable.

However, to send data away from your home, the only route available is a single-lane, back road. On this road, the speed limit is 10 mph, and only one car can move at a time, so it takes much longer for outbound data to reach its destination. This lane imbalance is why your connection works great when you’re watching movies but suddenly feels cramped and choppy during activities that require uploading.

Why Is Asymmetrical Internet So Common?

You may be wondering, “If asymmetrical internet is so much worse than symmetrical internet, why do some internet service providers still offer it?”

A big reason is that many legacy networks were designed to prioritize downloads over uploads, and changing that often requires major upgrades. For a long time, most households used the internet more like a library than a studio. People mostly pulled information down (web pages, music, videos) instead of constantly sending it back out (HD video calls, cloud backups, giant photo libraries, livestreams).

Here are some of the most common types of asymmetrical internet services:

• Cable internet: Most cable networks were built with a “lane split” that reserves a relatively small slice of spectrum for upstream traffic (uploads) and a much larger slice for downstream traffic (downloads). That design choice is a big reason upload speeds tend to lag behind download speeds on cable.

Popular companies that provide cable internet include Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum (or Charter), Cox Communications and Optimum & Astound.

• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): You’ll even see it in the name. The most common form of DSL service is called Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). It was designed to deliver higher downstream speeds than upstream speeds over existing copper phone lines.

Popular companies that provide DSL internet include AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, Kinetic and EarthLink.

• Fixed wireless and 5G home internet: These services use cellular-style networks where performance can shift based on signal strength, location and network congestion. Many providers publish “typical” ranges that show uploads noticeably lower than downloads.

Popular companies that provide fixed wireless and 5G home internet include T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Starry Internet, Rise Broadband, EarthLink and Nextlink Internet.

• Satellite internet: These providers use satellites that are orbiting the planet to send and receive data. Latency on a satellite connection is typically much higher than wired options, and your speeds can vary with weather and congestion.

Popular companies that provide satellite internet: Viasat and Hughesnet

So, asymmetrical internet isn’t “bad” by default. Rather, it’s optimized for a time when people mostly used their home connections to watch, scroll and download. But now that many people utilize the “upload lane” to make video calls, work remotely, play online games, post content or back up files, asymmetrical connections can experience “traffic jams” that cause lag, delays and longer load times.

Symmetrical speeds are most commonly associated with fiber optic internet. Fiber works differently from older copper-based connections because it transmits data using light signals through thin strands of glass. This gives your network more than enough capacity to handle heavy data traffic.

Because fiber networks can support high capacity in both directions, providers can offer plans where upload speeds aren’t treated like an afterthought. That’s a big reason fiber service tiers tend to be symmetrical. Popular companies that provide symmetrical fiber optic internet plans include EPB, Google Fiber, AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, Frontier Fiber and Earthlink.

If you’re shopping for a new internet plan, use the guide below to determine whether you need a symmetrical connection to enjoy your favorite online activities.

Download-heavy online activities ↓

The following tasks rely on downloading more than uploading, which means an asymmetrical connection may be able to keep up.

• Browsing the web: Each device needs about 1-5 Mbps ↓ and less than 1 Mbps ↑.
• Checking email: Each device needs about 1-5 Mbps ↓ and less than 1 Mbps ↑.
• Scrolling social media feeds: Each device needs about 1-5 Mbps ↓ and less than 1 Mbps ↑.
• Streaming Standard Definition (SD) video: Each device needs about 3 Mbps ↓ and less than 1 Mbps ↑.
• Streaming High-Definition (HD) video: Each device needs about 3–5 Mbps ↓ and less than 1 Mbps ↑.
• Streaming 4K video: Each device needs 15-25 Mbps ↓ and less than 1 Mbps ↑.
• Downloading or updating apps: Faster speeds can help reduce your wait time, but generally, each device needs 5-10 Mbps ↓ and less than 1 Mbps ↑.

Upload-heavy online activities ↑ (Slower Speeds = More Waiting)

If you do these regularly, asymmetrical internet is going to slow you down significantly. For creators and other professionals who work with massive media files or cloud-based projects, symmetrical speeds make the difference between minutes and hours when it comes to syncing, editing or posting your work.

Here’s how long it takes to upload a 10 GB file on a wired connection over different upload speeds:

• 10 Mbps ↑: About 2 hours and 13 minutes (often even longer in real life due to overhead).
• 35 Mbps ↑: About 38 minutes.
• 500 Mbps ↑: About 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
• 1,000 Mbps (1 Gig) ↑: About 1 minute and 20 seconds.
• 2,500 Mbps (2.5 Gigs) ↑: About 32 seconds.
• 10,000 Mbps (10 Gigs) ↑: About 8 seconds.

For the following activities, there’s no specific “required” upload speed. Rather, your upload speed directly controls how long you have to wait until the upload is complete. The slower your upload speed, the longer you’ll have to wait. This is especially relevant when you’re racing to meet a strict deadline.

• Uploading large files for work or school
• Cloud backups 
• Syncing photo libraries
• Uploading HD videos, images or audio files
• Livestreaming or “going live”

Activities that rely heavily on both downloading ↓ and uploading ↑

Some online activities have functions that utilize your network’s download and upload speeds. On an asymmetrical connection, the following actions may work fine for one person, but they are often the first to suffer when other household members connect to the network on their own devices.

• SD video calls: Each device needs about 0.6-1 Mbps ↓ and 0.6-1 Mbps ↑.
• 720p HD video calls: Each device needs about 1.2 Mbps ↓ and 1.2 Mbps ↑.
• 1080p HD video calls: Each device needs about 3 Mbps ↓ and 3.8 Mbps ↑.
• Screen sharing within video calls: Each device needs about 0.05-0.15 Mbps ↓ and 0.05-0.15 Mbps ↑.

For gaming, low latency and steady speeds matter most

One of the most common online activities that involves real-time interaction is gaming. Gaming usually doesn’t need raw bandwidth as much as it needs low, stable ping and enough upload to send your actions in real-time without lag.

Most online games use relatively little bandwidth, but they’re sensitive to latency, jitter and packet loss. The biggest difference you’ll feel is usually ping stability, not raw Mbps.

Many popular games need just under 1 Mbps of upload and download speeds, but consistent low ping is essential. To learn more about the importance of low latency, check out our blog post “What Is a Good Ping Speed? Understanding Latency and Performance.”

Here are typical estimates for minimum bandwidth recommendations and suggested latency (ping) for today’s most popular online games (exact requirements vary by game, platform and server).

• Fortnite: About 0.3 Mbps ↓ and 0.3 Mbps ↑

For latency or ping, ≤ 50 ms is adequate, ≤ 30 ms is ideal for competitive play and 100+ ms starts to feel laggy in fights.

• Call of Duty (Warzone): About 0.5 Mbps ↓ and 0.5 Mbps ↑

For latency or ping, ≤ 50 ms is adequate, ≤ 30 ms is ideal for competitive play and 100+ ms can feel rough in close-range fights.

• Apex Legends:  About 0.6 Mbps ↓ and 0.6 Mbps ↑

For latency or ping, ≤ 50 ms is adequate, ≤ 30 ms is ideal for competitive play and at 100+ ms you may experience lag.

• Valorant: About 0.8 Mbps ↓ and 0.8 Mbps ↑

For latency or ping, ≤ 60 ms is adequate, ≤ 40 ms is ideal for competitive play and at 100+ ms, you’re at a disadvantage.

• Overwatch 2: About 0.5 Mbps ↓ and 0.5 Mbps ↑

For latency or ping, ≤ 50 ms is adequate, ≤ 30 ms is ideal for competitive play and 100+ ms can noticeably affect timing and tracking.

• Rocket League: About 0.2 Mbps ↓ and 0.2 Mbps ↑

For latency or ping, ≤ 60 ms is adequate, ≤ 40 ms is ideal for competitive play and 100+ ms can cause “delayed touch” moments.

• League of Legends: About 0.2 Mbps ↓ and 0.2 Mbps ↑

For latency or ping, ≤ 60 ms is adequate, ≤ 30 ms is ideal for competitive play and 100+ ms is playable, but you’ll be playing at a disadvantage, especially in team fights.

• Minecraft: About 0.2 Mbps ↓ and 0.2 Mbps ↑

For latency and ping, 80 ms is adequate, 50 ms is ideal, and 120+ ms may start to cause rubber-banding on some servers.

1. Run a reputable speed test.

Select a highly rated speed test tool or app. Most speed tests run in a browser, like Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox, but many are also available as apps you can download from your device’s app store.

Here are a few of the most popular, free internet speed tests:

• Speedtest by Ookla: Speedtest.net — Measures upload AND download speeds, latency (or ping), and jitter (connection consistency, or ping fluctuation).
  
• Fast.com — Powered by Netflix and easy to use, with a clean, minimalist interface.
  
• Cloudflare Speed Test: Speed.Cloudflare.com — Provides detailed results with more information, such as “Latency during download” and “Latency during upload.”
  

2. Set up your network for accurate results. 

Speed tests capture details about your connection in a specific moment in time. Because of this, your test results can fluctuate significantly.

Here are some things you can do to make sure your speed test results are accurate:

• Connect your device directly to your router with a Cat5e cable or greater. This eliminates the possibility that your Wi-Fi interferes with your test.
• Pause updates and downloads.
• Close cloud-based programs that may be running in the background.
• Ask everyone connected to your network to pause their online activities or run the test when everyone is asleep or away.
• Remember: the more you can limit your network activity during the test, the more accurate the test results will be.
• Run the test at least three times.
• Test at different times throughout the day.
  

3. Compare your upload and download speeds. 

For many online activities, your upload speeds matter just as much as your download speeds. Here’s what seeing them side-by-side can tell you about your speeds:

• Does your download speed match your upload speed, or at least come close? (E.g., 921 Mbps ↓ and 934 Mbps ↑) 

Equal or very similar speeds usually indicate that you have a symmetrical connection — and odds are good that your service is powered by fiber optic infrastructure. (If you get your internet from EPB, you have the area’s only 100% fiber optic service with symmetrical speeds.)

• Is your download speed faster than your upload speed?
  (E.g., 500 Mbps ↓ and 17 Mbps ↑)
  If your speed test results show a big number for the download speed, and a much, much smaller number for the upload speed, your connection is asymmetrical and your service is likely cable, DSL or fixed wireless/5G.
  

4. What to do if your results are slower than the speeds advertised in your internet plan?

If your numbers seem lower than expected, follow these tips to check the accuracy of your results. A retest will help you confidently relay the details of your speed test to your provider.

• If you’re testing over Wi-Fi, your results may be limited by your router or device. Move as close as possible to the router before you re-test.
• If possible, connect directly to your router with a Cat5e or greater Ethernet cable. If you have a spare, run the test with both cables and compare.
• Re-test on a second device.

If you use these tips and still see a big gap between your plan’s advertised speeds and your speed test results, reach out to your provider and ask for technical support. They may walk you through simple steps to narrow down the cause or set up an appointment to troubleshoot your network.

If fiber optic internet is available where you live, it’s often worth the cost. This future-ready option delivers low latency (ping) and steady, consistent download and upload speeds that are more than fast enough for average users.

If you live in or near Chattanooga, Tennessee, you may have access to the area’s only 100% fiber optic internet with symmetrical upload and download speeds. With EPB, you can choose from a variety of internet plans ranging from 300 Mbps up to 25 Gigs, all backed by around-the-clock local customer service and tech support. Compare symmetrical plans from EPB.

Common Questions About Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Internet

What is symmetrical internet?

Symmetrical internet is a connection where your upload speed matches your download speed. For example, if your plan offers 500 Mbps download speeds, you also get 500 Mbps upload speeds. This type of connection is most commonly available through fiber optic internet providers and is ideal for households that rely on video calls, cloud backups, online gaming and other activities that send and receive data simultaneously.

What is asymmetrical internet?

Asymmetrical internet is a connection where your download speed is significantly faster than your upload speed. For example, a plan might advertise 1,000 Mbps download speeds but only deliver 35 Mbps upload speeds. Cable, DSL, fixed wireless and satellite internet services typically deliver asymmetrical speeds because their networks were originally designed to prioritize downloading over uploading.

What is the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical internet?

The main difference is how upload and download speeds compare. Symmetrical internet delivers equal speeds in both directions, while asymmetrical internet provides much faster download speeds than upload speeds. This difference becomes noticeable during activities that require fast uploads, such as video calls, livestreaming, cloud backups and uploading large files.

If your household mostly streams video and browses the web, an asymmetrical connection may work fine. But if multiple people are on video calls or uploading content at the same time, symmetrical speeds prevent the bottlenecks that cause lag, buffering and choppy connections.

Is fiber internet always symmetrical?

Most fiber optic internet plans offer symmetrical speeds, but it's not guaranteed across every provider or plan. Fiber transmits data using light signals through glass strands, which gives the network enough capacity to handle heavy traffic in both directions. This is why fiber providers like EPB are able to offer plans with matching upload and download speeds. Always check the upload speed listed in a plan's details to confirm it's symmetrical before signing up.

Why are my upload speeds so much slower than my download speeds?

If your upload speeds are significantly slower than your download speeds, you likely have an asymmetrical internet connection. This is common with cable, DSL and fixed wireless services because those networks were built to prioritize downloads. Cable networks, for example, reserve a much larger share of their available spectrum for downstream traffic and a smaller share for upstream traffic.

The only way to get equal upload and download speeds in most areas is to switch to a fiber optic internet provider like EPB that offers symmetrical plans.

Do I need symmetrical internet for video calls?

Symmetrical internet isn't strictly required for video calls, but it makes a significant difference in call quality, especially when multiple people in your household are online at the same time. Video calls send and receive data simultaneously — a single 1080p HD video call needs about 3.8 Mbps upload and 3 Mbps download.

On an asymmetrical connection with limited upload bandwidth, adding even one more device to the network can cause choppy video, frozen screens and dropped calls. Symmetrical speeds eliminate this upload bottleneck.

How do I know if my internet is symmetrical or asymmetrical?

Run a speed test using a free tool like Speedtest by Ookla (speedtest.net), Fast.com or Cloudflare Speed Test (speed.cloudflare.com). For the most accurate results, connect your device directly to your router with an Ethernet cable and pause all other network activity.

Once the test completes, compare your download and upload speeds. If they're equal or very close, your connection is symmetrical. If your download speed is much higher than your upload speed, your connection is asymmetrical.