Why do internet connections get slower as more people use them?

Question

And additionally, how does higher quality internet change that?

In: 12

Answer 1

It does not.

There is a finite quantity of data that can pass through your connection per unit of time. This is called bandwidth.

If it can do 10Mbps, you use 4Mbps and someone else uses 4Mbps, you will not see a difference.

However, if you use 6 Mbps and then someone tries to use more than 4, at least one of the 2 will have a slower speed.

“Higher quality internet” in technical terms refers to errors and losses. If there are issues on the line and you lose 10% of the data, said data can be transfered again, or is really lost depending on the method of transfer (protocol) used.

Salesmen often mean “more expensive” when they say “higher quality internet”, since losses are not really under their control. Sometimes they mean higher bandwidth.