Bandwidth

Download vs Upload Speed: Why Both Matter

An internet connection moves data in two directions. When you stream a film, open a website, or receive a photo, data travels to your device. When you send a photo, back up files, or transmit your camera feed during a video call, data travels from your device. Those two directions are measured separately as download speed and upload speed. A connection can have plenty of capacity in one direction and much less in the other, which is why a fast-looking internet plan can still struggle with some tasks.