The new buzzword in internet service is “symmetrical.” Many providers, including altafiber, are offering symmetrical internet speeds and touting the benefits of this feature.
But do you really have the need for symmetrical speed? Here’s your guide to help you cut through the technobabble and understand what symmetrical internet is and how it can benefit you and your business. 
What is symmetrical internet?
The definition of “symmetrical internet” is simple: it refers to any internet service plan where the upload speed and download speed are identical.
Are all internet plans symmetrical?
Actually, no! It’s a common assumption that the “speed” advertised for a given internet service plan refers to both download and upload speeds. In fact, many plans that boast lightning-fast download speeds have much slower upload speeds—this type of plan is called “asymmetrical internet.” Selecting a symmetrical internet plan ensures your uploads are just as fast as your downloads.
Why is upload speed important?
All these activities require fast upload speeds:
- Video chats or conferencing
- Back-and-forth chat on Slack, Teams, Discord, etc.
- Sending important or time-sensitive files
- Processing transactions via a point-of-sale system
- Streaming live video as a creator
- Backing up files to the cloud
If your business requires any of these activities, a symmetrical plan might be for you!
Who can benefit from symmetrical internet?
Businesses: Efficient day-to-day business operations rely on fast internet speeds for handling massive amounts of data. Businesses are sending, uploading, and moving more information than ever. Large files are shared with coworkers to increase collaboration. Employees send out emails with large attachments and use cloud applications to upload and download files throughout the day. Point-of-sale systems need to process transactions immediately. All these processes require fast upload speeds, especially when running up against a deadline. PDFs, PowerPoint files and other graphic-heavy uploads can become very large very quickly. Uploading a 1 gigabyte file over a 10 Mbps upload connection takes 15 minutes, whereas it takes only about 30 seconds when the upload speed is 300 Mbps. Therefore, symmetrical internet can vastly improve essential business functions.
Work-from-home employees: If you work from home, you might require fast internet speeds, but you may also have other internet users in your home taking up their share of the upload speed. Attending online meetings and video calls require quality upload speeds to come out clear and professional to the other participants.
Web content creators: Web content creators’ work covers a wide range of projects, such as marketing collateral, emails, websites, blogs, videos and more. Every piece of such content must be uploaded. Doing so with a slow upload connection decreases productivity.
Do I need symmetrical internet for my business?
Nearly all businesses can benefit from a symmetrical internet connection, especially as the number of employees on the network grows. For those who use it only for browsing the internet and emailing, the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical speeds will be less noticeable — but there are very few businesses in the 21st century who use the internet for so little.
How can I find a symmetrical internet plan for my business?
If you live in our coverage area, altafiber can help with that! altafiber offers a variety of symmetrical internet service plans, all delivered over a lightning-fast fiber network. Learn about internet options for business at the button below. 