What is a good upload speed to run Masterminds?

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One of the questions I’m asked most often is what is a good upload and download speed for the internet.

My name is Liz Scully. I’m a digital nomad and I also run Mastermind calls. And that is why people ask me all the time.

Internet speed is crucial to successfully run your Mastermind calls.

Because when you’re running a big video call the last thing you want is a lag between the video and the audio. So, although I travel all over the world I only go to places where I know I can guarantee a minimum of 40 down and 10 up.

You can kind of work at 20 down 10 up but that really is the absolute bones of what is going to work for you.

What I feel great about is when it’s 40 down and 20 up.

That doesn’t sound like very much but most domestic setups are so that you can stream quickly. So they’re very fast down. 100 down 10 up is very normal in the US. But it can be very different in other places.

I’m currently in Cartagena, and here it’s very normal to have an internet speed of 10 down and 1 up. And that’s not going to be able to allow you to run a video call at all.

If you get 20 down and 5 up you’re going to be stuttering through that. Obviously, not you personally, but your video is going to be stuttering. And that’s because video files are larger than audio files. So audio goes quickly and your video will lag behind.

There’s also a side issue that when you’re running a Zoom call, which is the way I do all of my calls, when you’re in charge of that call it’s on your bandwidth and you seem to need a little bit more than if you’re just joining the call.

Obviously, if you’re a Mastermind coach like I am or you follow one of my courses and become a Mastermind coach, then you’ll be running the same sort of courses, the same kind of calls too and you’ll want that little bit of extra oomph.

Unfortunately, it can be quite hard to get a faster upload.

Because uploading more implies that you are not just a normal domestic user. Sometimes you’ll have to go to business internet or you might have to go to a co-working space.

But all of those things mean that

you’re probably going to have to pay a little bit more.

But if you’re actually running a lot of calls, it’s always worth paying that bit extra and making sure you have a faster upload speed.

Because your clients will get really irked if they can’t hear you. Justifiably, because they’re paying to hear your words and if all they can hear is stuttering, that’s not really going to be very helpful. And unfortunately, because audio is quicker you won’t be able to see them getting annoyed but you will be able to hear them.

So, make sure you have a minimum of 20 down and 10 up, aim for 40 down and 20 up and bear in mind that you may well have to pay a lot more.

There’s one last thing to consider about this. Which is that the speed that your internet provider tells you you’re getting is not the speed you are actually getting.

You’re going to have to run a test.

They’re very easy to do. You go to Google and type in ‘free internet speed test’ and run one on your laptop and your phone. Your phone probably has newer Wi-Fi receptors so it’ll be much easier to get faster speeds. Your laptop is potentially a little older and will certainly be running slower than your phone. Those are the speed tests.

When I talk about upload and download speed it’s not what your internet provider tells you because that is dependent. That’s the optimum. That’s what they’re aiming for. It depends on the cabling in your building, the cabling in your street, and how far you are from the hub.

You don’t need to worry about any of that. Simply download a free speed test, click the button, it takes about two minutes, costs you nothing and then you’ll actually know what you’re getting.

Also bear in mind that busy times will be worse.

When people get home from school or work, 5 to 7pm is always the busiest time as everyone switches on their Netflix when they’re eating their dinner – I assume that’s what they’re doing.

But in New York for instance the entire internet slows down when everyone gets in from work. And it’s busy before people go to work as well. So, consider that when you’re timing your calls and you’re making sure that you’re getting the optimum internet you can.

And finally, also consider how old the cabling is in that particular place.

Sometimes places that got internet later actually have faster internet. I’m from Ireland and we didn’t get internet really put in for a very long time. But that means we have the fastest cabling.

Places like New York, which have very high density of population and of gizmos and gadgets – everyone’s got an iPad and a phone, a laptop and they’re streaming Netflix. All of that stuff in high density and they got the internet early so there’s very old cabling, I actually often get the very worst internet speeds not in Cartagena but in New York.

So, please join me in becoming mildly obsessed with internet speeds. It really will make a difference to the work you do and the change you have with your clients.

Thank you for watching and I hope to see you at one of my Q&As or my Masterclasses very soon.

Next live call is October 10, 2023 - Noon Eastern / 6pm UK.
Come along to ask your questions about launches, strategies for marketing, Masterminds or whatever you're stuck on in your business.

Add your email below and I'll send you the zoom info for the calls. See you there!

Or come say hello on Instagram here.  I microblog daily.