“Symmetrical” sounds like a big thing, and for internet users, it is. But it’s not complicated.
Having a symmetrical internet signal means the download and upload speeds are about the same, and it’s important for the two-way communication we expect from modern internet and devices.
If the concept seems new, that’s because most internet providers only live up to half of their promise. They’ll give you enough speed to meet the advertised threshold on downloads, and then hope you won’t ask about upload speeds. The techie term for this lop-sided deal is “asymmetrical” internet. But upload speeds are just as important. When they roughly even out, we call it symmetrical internet.
Here’s why having symmetrical internet speeds is important.
Your download speed dictates how quickly your computer, tablet or mobile device receives data over the internet through your router. This is important for virtually all online activities, such as downloading apps and programs, files for work, and pictures and videos. It also plays a role in streaming music and movies. It goes without saying that the higher your download speed, the faster this data should reach your fingertips.
Upload speed is the exact opposite of download speed. This is the amount of time it takes to send data from your computer or device to another device. For example, when you upload documents, images and videos to a cloud service like Google Drive, your upload speed determines how quickly they transfer. A strong upload speed is also crucial to maintaining realism with videoconferencing and gaming. Two-way communications rely on symmetrical speeds to keep you in real time.
C Spire Fiber delivers symmetrical internet up to 8 Gbps with 99.99 percent reliability.
