Published on November 29th, 2021 | by Bibhuranjan

How much internet data is enough for Netflix?

The era of cable TV is dying and now it’s all about streaming platforms. When we talk about the best and the most used streaming platform, we see that Netflix is at the top of the chart. Netflix is a streaming platform and millions of people watch Netflix every day. The time has changed and the people who were big fans of TV, are now switching to streaming services like Netflix, where you can watch your favorite TV shows and you get a variety of movies and sitcoms from a vast library. Netflix or any other popular streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Hulu requires a lot of data. With streaming platforms like Netflix, the best part is that you can watch your favorite shows, anywhere, anytime. With traditional TV services, you don’t get such perks and TV services are way more expensive than streaming services.

Some internet service providers offer high-speed internet and offer unlimited data, then some internet service providers offer good internet speed and a limited data cap. While getting internet service, if you are a big fan of Netflix, your first priority should be to get an internet service provider that offers you either unlimited data cap or in scenarios when you are living in a rural or remote area, you will probably get the internet service via the satellite connection which will come with a limited data cap which might be a concern for streamers.

Internet options for cities

If you are living in a city, there will be a lot of options and you can pick any internet service provider which offers you the services as per your need. There are different internet options like fiber optic, cable, and DSL which offer amazing internet speed and unlimited data cap, or a much higher data cap like 1Tb which is more than sufficient. If you are getting a package that comes with an unlimited data cap, you can stream Netflix as much as you want to as there will be no limitation to the data. On top of unlimited data, you will be getting amazing download and upload speed. With these connections, you can get download speed ranging from up to 50Mbps to 1000Mbps and that too comes with amazing features. Companies like COX offers amazing internet speeds with a data cap of 1.25 Tb which would be enough even if you have heavy internet usage but still if you want more data, you can get that too. You should check out COX internet plans and you will surely find a plan that suits your budget and needs.

Internet options for rural areas

The people living in rural areas don’t get a lot of options when it comes to internet services. They usually get services via a satellite internet connection that offers you a limited data cap. For those who are living in rural areas, you will be getting access to internet service providers like Hughesnet, which offers good internet speed with a maximum data cap of 50Gb via a satellite connection. You can reach out to the customer support of Hughesnet to discuss your usage of Netflix per day and they will help you out and let you know which package suits you the best.

Data cap requirement for Netflix

As per Netflix, you use 1Gb of data per hour when you are streaming a standard definition video on the platform. If you are watching a high-definition video, it will consume 3Gb data per hour and if you are streaming a 4k video on Netflix, it will consume around 7 GB per hour, all these stats are estimations and the actual amount may vary. You can also download the movies and watch them later. The streaming and downloading videos on Netflix consume the same amount of data.

If you watch around 60 hours of Netflix per month on standard quality, it will consume around 40Gb data per month which means that if you do streaming on Netflix and the sole reason you are getting the internet services are watching Netflix and doing browsing or surfing on social media, 50Gb data would be enough for you.

For those who have heavy internet usage and they do streaming and online gaming on multiple devices, 50Gb would be nothing for them. It all depends on your needs and what you are looking for. If there are around 2-3 people in your house who don’t use the internet a lot and do streaming occasionally, 50Gb data would be enough for you, but if there are around 4-5 people who use the internet a lot and do streaming and gaming as well, your data will end even before you know. You need to play very safely in that case. However, if you have set 50Gb data just for Netflix, then it will work fine for you.

You need to make sure that you get services through an internet service provider that offers unlimited data along with reliable a connection if you are a heavy user. Many people face issues with the internet speeds during the end of the month and the reason is that their data limit ends by that time. When your data ends, your internet speed is throttled, or in some cases services are completely disconnected and when you have multiple users in your house, these issues can be a major problem since most activities are internet-dependent in a normal household.

Set the data usage limit

Within the Netflix settings, you can change the data usage as per your need. It will allow you to set the data usage limit to all the profiles or accounts associated with your Netflix account. To set the data usage settings, log in to Netflix and select any profile other than the kid’s profile, once selected go into settings to adjust the data usage. If you choose the kid’s profile, it won’t allow you to adjust these settings.

Summing it up

If you are only concerned about Netflix while getting the internet services, then 50Gb data can be enough for you. You can watch more than 60 hours of Netflix per month at standard quality and can do browsing and surf on social media as well with 50Gb data. However, if you have multiple devices and you know that you have heavy internet usage then make sure you get services through an internet service provider that either offers unlimited data or a data cap of preferably 1Tb or more so you can stream and download as much as you want to without worrying about the data cap.

Cover Photo by CardMapr on Unsplash

Tags: internet provider, internet provider for business, ISP provider, Netflix

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.