Broadband adverts usually lead with the download speed. For many homes that is the number that matters most. For businesses, the other number, upload speed, is often the one that decides whether video calls stay clear, backups finish overnight and files reach clients on time. This guide explains the difference between symmetric and asymmetric broadband, and how to tell which your business needs.
Upload and download: a quick recap
- Download is data coming to you, such as web pages, streamed video, software updates and files you open from the cloud.
- Upload is data going from you, such as your video on a call, files you save to the cloud, email attachments you send and backups.
Both happen at the same time. Even a simple video call uses download to receive other people and upload to send yourself.
What is asymmetric broadband?
Asymmetric broadband has a higher download speed than upload speed. Most home broadband and a lot of business broadband works this way. It makes sense for households, where streaming and browsing are mostly downloads.
The gap between the two speeds depends on the technology. Older copper based connections, such as FTTC, typically have a very small upload compared with their download, and it gets worse the further you are from the street cabinet. Full fibre packages generally offer much more upload capacity, although many are still asymmetric. Our guide to full fibre vs FTTC explains why.
What is symmetric broadband?
Symmetric broadband has the same speed in both directions. You can upload as quickly as you download.
Leased lines are symmetric by design, and they are also uncontended, meaning the capacity is dedicated to your business. Some full fibre broadband packages also offer matching upload and download speeds, depending on the network at your address.
Why upload speed matters for businesses
Work has moved to the cloud. Files that used to sit on a server in the office are now saved to online storage. Phone systems run over the internet. Meetings happen on video. All of that pushes data out of your building, not just in.
Video calls
Your upload carries your camera and microphone to everyone else. With several people on calls at once, upload is shared between them. When it runs short, colleagues and clients see you freeze or hear you break up, even though their video looks fine on your screen.
VoIP phone calls
Internet phone calls do not need much bandwidth each, but they need it to be steady in both directions. If a large upload fills your connection, calls can become choppy. With the analogue phone network being switched off, more businesses are relying on VoIP. See our guide to VoIP business calls over broadband.
Cloud storage and file sharing
Every time someone saves a document, photograph or drawing to online storage, it is uploaded. Large files, and many small files syncing at once, can take a long time on a limited upload.
Backups
Backing up computers and servers to the cloud is one of the most upload heavy jobs a business runs. On a low upload, backups may not finish overnight, which leaves you less protected.
Sending large files
Designers, photographers, video producers, architects, engineers, printers and many others regularly send large files to clients and suppliers. With a low upload, a file that downloads in moments can take far longer to send.
Remote access and hosted services
If staff connect to the office from home, or you host a website, a booking system or CCTV that people view remotely, your upload carries that traffic out to them.
Signs your upload is holding you back
- People on the other end of video calls say you freeze, while you can see them clearly.
- Calls break up when someone is uploading files.
- Cloud storage shows files waiting to sync for long periods.
- Overnight backups are still running in the morning.
- Everything slows down when one person sends a large attachment.
A speed test will show your upload as well as your download. Test on a cable connected to the router for the most accurate result. Our guide on how to test your broadband speed explains how.
Do you need symmetric broadband?
Asymmetric full fibre is often enough if
- Most of your work is email, browsing and cloud apps.
- You have occasional video calls rather than many at once.
- You rarely send large files.
- Your upload on a full fibre package is comfortably more than you use at busy times.
Symmetric speeds are worth considering if
- Several people are on video calls at the same time, every day.
- You run your phones over the internet and cannot afford poor call quality.
- You regularly upload large files or back up large amounts of data.
- Staff work remotely and connect back to systems in the office.
- You host services that people outside the business use.
If your needs sit firmly in the second list, and a slowdown at busy times would cause real problems, a leased line may be the right answer. Our guide to leased line vs business broadband compares the two in detail.
Other ways to protect your upload
- Schedule big uploads, such as backups, for outside working hours.
- Prioritise calls. Many business routers can give voice and video traffic priority over other uploads, often called quality of service.
- Limit guest WiFi so visitors cannot use up your connection.
- Use a cable for computers that upload the most, so WiFi is not the bottleneck.
Find the right connection
Check your address to see the business full fibre packages available at your premises, with estimated download and upload speeds for each. If you need guaranteed symmetric speeds, request a leased line quote and we will survey your site. You can also read more about business broadband and leased lines, or contact our team in Sunderland for honest advice.