# Not so fast: How quick is your internet actually?
## Header
Not So Fast
How quick is your internet actually?
Why is it your internet plan says 300 Mbps, but your downloads rarely hit 25 MB/s?
Nope, Mbps it's not "megabytes per second"
## Speed Calculator
What they offer
Mbps
What you get
MB/s
| Label | Speed (Mbps) |
| --- | --- |
| 100 Mbps | 100 |
| 300 Mbps | 300 |
| 500 Mbps | 500 |
| 1000 Mbps | 1000 |
Test Your Speed
Or test your speed with fast.com (in Mbps)
https://fast.com/
## Explanation
Here's why
**Mbps** means megabits per second. **MB/s** means megabytes per second.
There are 8 bits in a byte, so 8 Mbps = 1 MB/s.
Internet providers advertise in Mbps for a few reasons:
**Networking standards**: routers, Wi-Fi, and fiber all measure data in bits per second.
**Industry convention**: it's the global standard for describing connection speed.
**Marketing**: bigger numbers look faster (300 Mbps sounds better than 37.5 MB/s 😅).
That number also assumes a perfect connection, something that.. rarely happens.
Your real-world speed depends on things like your router, distance, number of devices, and overall network congestion.
So if you're on a **300 Mbps plan**, that's the theoretical max. In everyday use, you might see **150–200 Mbps**, which equals about **20–25 MB/s** when downloading 🙃
## Global Pricing
Every country does this
No matter where you live, internet companies advertise in Mbps.
Here's what people actually pay for similar ~500 Mbps (actually 62.5 MB/s) plans across the globe.
Larger markers mean more expensive internet.
Data represents ~500 Mbps plans as of 2025.
| Country | Plan | Price (USD) | Latitude | Longitude | Plan URL |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| USA | Xfinity Fast 500 Mbps | 55 | 37.0902 | -95.7129 | https://www.xfinity.com/planbuilder |
| Chile | VTR Mega 500 | 17.80 | -33.4489 | -70.6693 | https://vtr.cl/internet-mega500 |
| UK | Virgin Media M500 | 45.50 | 51.5074 | -0.1278 | https://www.virginmedia.com/broadband/fibre/m500 |
| Germany | Vodafone GigaZuhause 500 | 63.90 | 51.1657 | 10.4515 | https://www.vodafone.de/festnetz/geschwindigkeit/500mbits.html |
| Spain | Digi Fibra SMART 500 Mb | 11.60 | 40.4637 | -3.7492 | https://www.digimobil.es/fibra-optica/smart/500mb |
| Australia | Exetel NBN Superfast | 51.30 | -25.2744 | 133.7751 | https://www.exetel.com.au/broadband/nbn |
| Singapore | StarHub 500 Mbps | 23.30 | 1.3521 | 103.8198 | https://www.starhub.com/personal/broadband.html |
| India | JioFiber 500 Mbps | 28.20 | 20.5937 | 78.9629 | https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/fiber/fiber-prepaid-plans-home/ |
| Brazil | Claro Fibra 500 Mega | 26.30 | -14.2350 | -51.9253 | https://www.claro.com.br/internet/banda-larga |
## Rotating Circular Text
MADE * IN * FACES *
