Bandwidth Requirements
Video requires more bandwidth than almost any other application
You will need to make sure that you have enough bandwidth to host or attend a broadcast or a conference.
Estimate the bandwidth you have
To estimate how much bandwidth you have:
- Go to www.speedtest.net
- Select Chicago as the destination on the map
- Make a note of the "Up" and "Down" speeds available to you
(Speedtest reports bandwidth in Mbps, so to use the calculators below, multiply the results by 1,000 to get kbps. For example, if Speedtest shows that you have 2.5 Mbps, you have 2,500 kbps of bandwidth. As a point of reference, a T-1 connection to the Internet has 1,536 kbps up and 1,536 kbps down.)
Calculate the bandwidth you'll need
Bandwidth Chart — Launch our interactive bandwidth chart and enter the "Up" and "Down" speeds reported by Speedtest. The chart will show you the bandwidth you'll need for Appia Video Communication sessions.
We also offer an Excel workbook with three calculators:
- A Video Calculator that estimates the bandwidth you'll need for a video conference or broadcast session
- A Voice and Fax Call Capacity calculator that estimates bandwidth needs for IP voice, video, and other applications
- A Savings Calculator that displays the reductions in costs and CO2 emissions when video communication replaces travel
To download these calculators, click on the link below:
Appia Video Communication Bandwidth and Savings Calculators (Excel)
Your requirements may vary
Please remember that the results are estimates only. Your specific requirements depend on the quality of your connection, the number of users on your connection, and other factors. If possible, see your system administrator.
If you do not have enough bandwidth for a video session, the best solution is to turn off the video streams from the participants you don't need to see. Appia Video Communicator allows you to turn video streams on and off as you choose. You will still receive audio from all the participants.