The number of devices that can run on a 50 Mbps (megabits per second) internet connection depends on what you are doing online on each device. For example:
Web Browsing: Web browsing typically requires minimal bandwidth, so multiple devices can easily browse the internet simultaneously without significant impact on speed. With a 50 Mbps connection, you can comfortably support several devices for web browsing. The size of your screen will also be a factor because huge screens use more bandwidth.
Streaming: Streaming activities like watching videos on platforms like Netflix, YouTube, or Hulu consume varying amounts of bandwidth depending on the quality and resolution of the content. For standard definition (SD) video streaming, each device may require around 3-5 Mbps, while high-definition (HD) streaming can range from 5-10 Mbps per device. With a 50 Mbps connection, you can support multiple devices streaming in SD and a few devices streaming in HD simultaneously.
Online Gaming: Online gaming typically requires low to moderate bandwidth, usually ranging from 1-5 Mbps per device. With a 50 Mbps connection, you can support multiple devices playing online games without any issues. But here’s an important note: With geostationary satellites thousands of miles in space the signal can be slow for online gaming. However, if you use a low-earth orbit satellite system like Starlink you can game online. Viasat satellites are geostationary so while the new Viasat-3 satellite just launched the powerful telecommunication satellite to date and can transmit 1 TB of data per second, the milliseconds of delay that wouldn’t be noticeable otherwise will impact gaming results. However, Viasat is developing strategies that may combine low-earth orbit systems with geostationary satellites to overcome this latency in future.
Video Calls: Video calling platforms like Skype or Zoom require around 1-2 Mbps for standard-quality video calls and 3-4 Mbps for high-definition video calls. With a 50 Mbps connection, you can have several devices engaged in video calls simultaneously.
File Downloads and Uploads: File downloads and uploads consume varying amounts of bandwidth depending on the file size. With a 50 Mbps connection, you can handle multiple devices downloading or uploading files without significant speed limitations.
These are estimates. Network congestion, device capabilities, and other network activities taking place simultaneously can affect performance. Additionally, bandwidth-intensive activities running on multiple devices simultaneously can result in decreased speeds for each device.