Few things are more important to everyday life today than Internet access. It can be hard to imagine life in the 21st century without it. Being able to access the Internet today is as common and necessary a utility as electricity or water.
Even so, not all Internet access is created equal. If you have ever tried to access the Internet at home, school, and at the office, you have probably had three very different experiences in terms of the speed and capability of your Internet connection. With that in mind, let’s take a look at why it is important to make sure you get unlimited Internet access for residential Internet setups.
- Greater Possibility
Psychologically, we don’t tend to like limitations. That is especially true when it comes to accessing something that is supposed to be as free and world-connecting as the Internet. The last thing you want is for your residential Internet connection to leave you feeling cut off. If your connection is slow or limited, that’s precisely what can happen. As such, it is a better idea to invest in Internet plans that allow for greater access. You still don’t need all the bells and whistles a company might look into when investing in their Internet plan, but you still want something more expansive than what a “basic” setup will offer. The latter are increasingly slow and outdated, whereas unlimited plans allow for far greater access and thus more possibility for everything from studying to working to socializing from home.
- Greater Affordability
As much as we may not like limitations, we often don’t like paying the price for exceeding them. If you have a phone plan that charges you for the amount of data you use, you’ll find that you can burn through that set amount of data pretty quickly.
The apps that exist today often use a lot of data due to their advanced nature. What’s more, we tend to use our phones and the Internet far more than we did even a decade ago. Both of these reasons and many more add up to more data usage, both for phones and for your Internet connection at home. By investing in an unlimited Internet plan, you avoid the extra charges that come from exceeding artificial data usage ceilings and the fees that come with it.
- Better Connectivity
This is less a hard and fast rule and more of a generality. The more advanced the Internet plan, the better it tends to perform. As a result, unlimited internet usage with no bandwidth cap and high internet speed are usually bundled together by local internet service providers. “Slow” internet such as 5 Mbps or slower typically come with restrictions but is only suitable for casual web browsing.
If you want blazing fast unlimited internet speeds you’ll want at least 30 Mbps which also typically comes with unlimited usage (Depends on your ISP and area). Some lucky cities also have internet service providers that offer even faster internet like 500 Mbps or the coveted 1 Gbps internet. You should evaluate your needs to consider which speed you want. Factors such as whether you want to stream, household size, if you want to run servers, etc. will determine what speed you want.
- Streaming Is King
That is especially pertinent when it comes to the wide world of streaming. Whether you are streaming something yourself, or watching something online, streaming is now one of the primary ways in which we connect with others or consume entertainment online.
The last thing you want in this situation is to be cut off due to lag or other poor Internet performance issues. An unlimited plan often allows for far faster streaming speeds than their more limited counterparts. If you are steaming TV and movies, you will definitely need an unlimited plan and a fast internet connection to watch your shows in HD without restriction.
If you are interested in becoming a streamer or you want to zoom call with friends and family, you should look for an internet plan with high upload speeds to ensure everyone is receiving your feed properly.
- Business and Work
More people are working from home or otherwise living the digital nomad life than ever before. There are several reasons for this explosion in remote work, from the improvement of video conferencing technology to the pandemic making remote work a necessity in many sectors, but the point remains the same.
Many of us either want or need to work remotely, and that means having a solid Internet connection at home. You need to be able to do research, and you really need to have a smooth connection when you talk to your co-workers via Zoom or other platforms.
What’s more, if you choose to do an online interview for a new job, the last thing you want is an unstable Internet connection. All of these professional remote working problems can be solved with an unlimited connection that saves time, streams fast, and ensures a smooth connection every time.
- Gaming
Gaming has become more prevalent during the pandemic. In fact, according to Steam, the number of peak players online gaming has reached all time highs during 2020 and 2021 due to everyone staying indoors. One of the most important aspects of gaming is the online interactions you can have.
From shooters to strategy to MOBAs, your ping plays a significant role in gaming performance and enjoyment. Any gamer will tell you that lag spikes and high ping during a game is one of the most frustrating experiences a gamer can have. That’s why it’s important to have fast and reliable internet so you don’t need to experience this. Fortunately, gaming uses very little bandwidth besides the initial download, so you don’t have to worry too much about usage.
For all of these reasons and many more, investing in unlimited plans is simply a better long-term residential Internet investment.