Upload speed

The upload speed defines the speed at which data can be sent over a network. The unit for the upload speed is bits per second. High upload speeds are typically specified in multiples such as kilobit per second and megabit per second. In addition to the download speed, the upload speed essentially determines the capacity and performance for an internet connection. It determines the amount of data a user can transmit to other services and connections over the internet within a specific amount of time. The upload speed in part also affects data reception, as some transmission protocols such as TCP use the upload port to acknowledge the data was received. If the upload bandwidth is so low the receipts cannot be sent promptly, the download speed will automatically be reduced.

Asymmetric download and upload speeds with DSL connections

DSL connections based on e.g. ADSL and VDSL, are asymmetric with different upload and download speeds. The download speed is typically a multiple of the upload speed. Since many applications primarily retrieve data from the internet and little data is actually transferred to the internet, asymmetric DSL connections are very common. However, these types of connection are inadequate for providing services via an internet connection. After all, in this case high upload speeds are required to transfer the information from the server over the internet and to the user. In this case, symmetric transmission technologies with equal download and upload speeds are a suitable solution.

Importance of the upload speed in cloud telephony

Cloud telephony uses Voice over IP (VoIP) technology to transmit call information over the internet in form of data. Phone calls generally requires the same bandwidths in both directions of transmission. If only one or few phone calls are made at the same time, the upload speed an asymmetric DSL connection is typically still adequate. However, when there are a lot of simultaneous phone calls, the connection should be configured to provide adequate upload and download bandwidth.

Further information

TCP/IP

The acronym TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and refers to a family of network protocols which are the basis for communication and data exchange over the internet as…

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