Definition: download vs. upload

Download and upload (downstream and upstream) speeds may be the same or very different. Sending and receiving files between computers over a local network transmit at roughly the same speed. However, transmission speeds to the Internet (upstream) and from the Internet (downstream) may not be the same.

For Consumers - A Little Up - A Lot Down
A Web page is requested with a very little amount of text going to the Web server, but the text and images coming back can comprise ten thousand times as much data. Video is the extreme example. A small text request can retrieve gigabytes of video. In addition, by keeping upload speeds low, residential customers are prevented from running a high-traffic Web server.

For Business - A Lot Up and Down
Business customers operating a website may send out a huge amount of data and need considerable upstream bandwidth. This is why commercial customers are charged more than residential users by the Internet provider (ISP). See download, bandwidth and ISP.




Residential Service Speed Test