When you shop for an internet plan, the big number on the box is always the download speed — 75 Mbps, 150 Mbps, 1 Gbps. But there's a second number that often gets buried in the fine print: your upload speed. For anyone who works from home, takes video calls, backs up files to the cloud, or livestreams, upload speed can be the difference between a smooth experience and a frustrating one.
This guide explains what upload speed is, why it matters more than ever, and how to figure out whether your current plan gives you enough of it.
What Is Upload Speed?
Your internet connection has two lanes of traffic:
- Download speed — How fast data travels to your devices. This covers streaming video, loading web pages, and pulling files from the cloud.
- Upload speed — How fast data travels from your devices to the internet. This covers sending video in a Zoom call, uploading photos, syncing files to Google Drive or OneDrive, and pushing content to social media.
Most home internet technologies are asymmetric — they give you much more download capacity than upload. A cable internet plan advertised as "150 Mbps" might offer only 10–15 Mbps upload. Even plans marketed as "300 Mbps" often cap upload at 15–20 Mbps.
The exception is fibre internet, which typically offers symmetric or near-symmetric speeds — meaning your upload speed matches or comes close to your download speed. That's one of fibre's biggest advantages over cable for work-from-home households.
Why Upload Speed Matters More Than It Used To
Ten years ago, most people consumed content from the internet — streaming shows, browsing websites, downloading files. Upload barely mattered. Today, the way we use the internet has fundamentally shifted:
- Remote work — Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet calls send your video and audio upstream. A full workday of calls can mean 6–8 hours of continuous uploading.
- Cloud storage — Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, and OneDrive sync files automatically. Large documents, presentations, and design files need upload bandwidth to stay current.
- Security cameras — Cloud-connected cameras (Ring, Nest, Arlo) upload footage around the clock. Each camera uses 1–4 Mbps of upload, depending on resolution.
- Gaming — While gaming itself uses minimal upload, streaming your gameplay to Twitch or YouTube requires 6–10+ Mbps sustained upload. Competitive games also benefit from consistent upload for low-latency input.
- Social media — Uploading 4K video to YouTube, Instagram Reels, or TikTok can take a long time on slow upload speeds. A 5-minute 4K video can be 2–5 GB.
- Smart home devices — Thermostats, doorbells, baby monitors, and IoT sensors all use a small amount of upload bandwidth. Multiply that by 15–30 devices and it adds up. See our smart home WiFi guide for more.
How Much Upload Speed Do You Actually Need?
Here's a practical breakdown of upload requirements by activity:
Video Calls (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet)
- SD quality (480p): ~1 Mbps upload
- HD quality (720p): ~1.5–2 Mbps upload
- Full HD (1080p): ~3–4 Mbps upload
- Screen sharing (with video): add 1–2 Mbps
If two people in your household are on video calls simultaneously, double those numbers. That means you need at least 6–8 Mbps upload just for the calls — before any cloud backup, security cameras, or other devices in the background.
Cloud Backup and File Sync
- Light use (documents, spreadsheets): 1–3 Mbps is fine
- Moderate use (photos, design files): 5–10 Mbps helps sync finish in reasonable time
- Heavy use (video editing, large datasets): 25+ Mbps makes a real difference
At 10 Mbps upload, a 1 GB file takes roughly 13 minutes to upload. At 100 Mbps (fibre), the same file takes about 80 seconds.
Livestreaming and Content Creation
- Twitch at 720p 60fps: 4–6 Mbps upload
- Twitch/YouTube at 1080p 60fps: 8–12 Mbps upload
- YouTube at 4K: 20–35 Mbps upload
For streamers and content creators, fibre internet is almost a necessity. Cable upload speeds of 10–15 Mbps leave virtually no headroom for 1080p streaming while anyone else in the house uses the internet.
Security Cameras
- 1080p camera with continuous upload: ~2–4 Mbps per camera
- 4K camera: ~8–10 Mbps per camera
- Event-triggered only (motion clips): much less, ~0.5–1 Mbps average
Three 1080p cameras recording continuously can consume 6–12 Mbps of upload on their own. That's most of a cable plan's total upload capacity.
Upload Speed by Internet Technology
Not all internet connections are equal when it comes to upload:
- Fibre (FTTH) — Symmetric speeds. A 300/300 Mbps plan gives you 300 Mbps upload. The best option for work-from-home, streaming, and multi-device households. Check fibre availability in your area.
- Cable (DOCSIS 3.1) — Heavily asymmetric. Download speeds of 150–1000 Mbps, but upload typically 10–30 Mbps. Upload capacity is shared across your neighbourhood, so it can drop during peak hours.
- DSL / VDSL — Very limited upload, usually 1–10 Mbps. DSL is largely being phased out in Western Canada.
- Fixed wireless — Varies widely. Some rural providers offer 5–25 Mbps upload; others as low as 1–2 Mbps. Distance from the tower matters. See our guide to rural internet options.
- Satellite (Starlink) — Typically 5–20 Mbps upload, with higher latency. Adequate for video calls but not ideal for low-latency applications.
How to Test Your Upload Speed
Most people have never tested their upload speed. Here's how:
- Use a reputable speed test — Visit speedtest.net, fast.com (click "Show more info"), or speed.cloudflare.com. They all report upload speed alongside download.
- Test on a wired connection — WiFi can bottleneck your results, especially on older routers. Plug your computer into the router with an Ethernet cable for an accurate reading. Our troubleshooting guide covers this in detail.
- Test at different times — Cable internet upload speeds often drop during evening peak hours (7–10 PM) when the neighbourhood is online. Test in the morning and evening to see the range.
- Close background apps — Cloud sync, software updates, and security cameras can use upload bandwidth during your test, skewing results downward.
If your measured upload speed is consistently below 70% of what your plan promises, contact your provider. You may have a hardware issue, or your plan may not deliver what you're paying for.
Signs Your Upload Speed Is Too Slow
Upload bottlenecks are sneaky — they often feel like a general "internet is slow" problem. Watch for these specific symptoms:
- Your video freezes on calls, but you can see others fine — Your download (receiving their video) works, but your upload (sending your video) can't keep up
- "Your internet connection is unstable" warnings in Zoom or Teams — This often means upload is saturated
- File uploads take forever — Attaching a 50 MB presentation to an email or uploading a video to Google Drive feels painfully slow
- The whole internet slows down when someone starts a cloud backup — Large uploads can saturate your upload pipe, which on some connections also degrades download performance
- Security camera footage is choppy or low resolution — The cameras are automatically reducing quality because they can't upload fast enough
How to Improve Your Upload Performance
If you're stuck with a limited upload connection, these tips help you get the most out of it:
- Prioritize video calls with QoS — Many modern routers (especially mesh systems) have Quality of Service settings that let you prioritize Zoom/Teams traffic over background uploads. Check our VoIP and call quality guide for QoS setup steps.
- Schedule large uploads for off-hours — Set cloud backups to run overnight instead of during work hours. Most backup software (Backblaze, iCloud, Google Drive) lets you throttle or schedule uploads.
- Reduce security camera quality — Dropping from 4K to 1080p per camera can free up 5+ Mbps of upload. Event-triggered recording (instead of continuous) saves even more.
- Use a wired connection for your work computer — WiFi contention and interference waste bandwidth. A direct Ethernet connection gives your upload stream a cleaner path to the router.
- Upgrade to fibre — If fibre is available in your area, switching from cable to fibre is the single most impactful upgrade for upload speed. Check Get WiFi fibre plans and rates.
Upload Speed Recommendations by Household Type
Here's a quick guide to how much upload speed different households typically need:
- Single person, light use (email, browsing, occasional call): 5–10 Mbps upload
- Couple, one works from home (daily video calls, cloud sync): 15–25 Mbps upload
- Family, 2+ remote workers or students (concurrent calls, smart devices): 25–50 Mbps upload
- Content creator or streamer (1080p/4K live, large file uploads): 50–100+ Mbps upload
- Small business from home (VoIP phones, cloud CRM, file sharing): 25–50 Mbps upload
If your household falls into the 25+ Mbps category, fibre is strongly recommended. Most cable plans simply cannot deliver that level of upload reliably, especially during peak hours. Get WiFi can help you find the right fibre or cable plan for your area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good upload speed for working from home?
At minimum, 10 Mbps upload for a single remote worker taking regular video calls. For comfort, 25 Mbps upload gives you headroom for screen sharing, cloud sync, and other household devices running simultaneously.
Why is my upload speed so much slower than my download speed?
Most cable and DSL connections are asymmetric by design — the technology allocates more capacity to download because historically that's what consumers used most. Fibre connections don't have this limitation and can offer equal speeds in both directions.
Does upload speed affect gaming?
Online gaming uses very little upload bandwidth (typically under 1 Mbps). However, if your upload is saturated by other activities (cloud backups, cameras, someone else's video call), it can increase your latency and packet loss, causing lag. Streaming your gameplay to Twitch or YouTube requires significantly more — 6–12 Mbps for 1080p. See our gaming internet guide for details.
Can I increase my upload speed without changing plans?
On cable or DSL, your upload speed is largely fixed by your plan and technology. You can optimize how you use it (QoS settings, scheduling backups, wired connections), but the ceiling is set by your connection type. Switching to fibre is the most effective way to get more upload capacity.
Bottom Line
Upload speed is the unsung hero of a good internet experience — especially in 2026, when remote work, cloud-first workflows, and smart home devices are the norm, not the exception. If you're experiencing choppy video calls, slow file uploads, or an internet connection that grinds to a halt when someone runs a backup, upload speed is likely your bottleneck.
The fix is straightforward: check your current upload speed, match it against what your household actually needs, and consider upgrading to a plan — ideally fibre — that gives you enough room to upload comfortably. Compare Get WiFi plans to find the right fit, or sign up to start your upgrade today.
Get WiFi is a local Canadian internet provider offering high-speed fibre and cable internet across Alberta.
Part of the Get Energy family.