Is Multi-Gigabit Internet Worth the Price and the High-Speed Hype?

Have you ever shopped at a warehouse club and noticed some decent deals on bulk groceries and products?

In fact, compared to slower plans, multi-gig speeds are the better value.

Locating local internet providers

Should you consider such speeds when shopping for home internet?

Heres what to know.

Read more:Yes, There Is Such a Thing As Too Fast.

Here’s How Much Internet Speed You Really Need.

What is multi-gigabit internet?

Multi-gigabit internet plans have maximum data transfer rates (internet speeds) of higher than one gigabit per second.

What does that mean, exactly?

(Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Gigabit servicecan be shown as 1,000Mbps and is roughly four times faster than the average tested household speed.

Multi-gig plans typically boast maximum speeds of two, five or more times faster than that.

A five-gig plan, for example, would provide speeds up to 5,000Mbps to the home.

Several regional and hyperlocal providers offer multi-gig plans with speeds up to 10Gbps as well.

Here’s a look at the fastest multi-gig plans currently available from the largest internet service providers.

Depending on the plan you choose, multi-gig service can run well over $100 a month.

According toOpenVault’s Q3 2024 report, the average US household uses 564Mbps in downstream and 31Mbps in upstream.

(Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis).

Consequently, I would argue that upgrading to a multi-gig service is not worth the added cost.

Multi-gigabit internet is defined as speeds that go beyond 1 gigabit (or 1,000Mbps).

Multi-gig plans can typically boast ultra-high speeds which are much faster than gigabit internet.

Multi-gigabit plans can be described as 2Gbps and can reach as high as50Gbps for Ziply Fiber customers.

This will all depend on the internet provider, pricing and speeds available at your address.

In general, having access to a fiber connection will likely determine if you have multi-gigabit speeds.

Yes, a multi-gig internet service is more costly than other plans.

It can range from around $80 to as high as $900 a month.

That’s a solid deal, considering the speeds that you’d get.

To learn more,read our top picks for the best multi-gigabit internet plans available.