Bandwidth requirements for video conferencing vary depending on the software/platform you use, however the average seems to be about 2 Megabits/second both down and upstream for high-definition video.
With the increase in remote work and school activities, it is important to know the bandwidth requirements for various products so you can plan for a sufficient internet connectivity accordingly. Most broadband connections are able to easily accommodate single user video conferencing without any issues, however, keep in mind that multiple users at home may be using bandwidth-intensive applications including video conferencing, gaming, streaming online video content, downloading Windows updates, etc. All this affects available bandwidth. Also, with residential internet connections, upstream (upload) bandwidth is usually much lower than downstream (download) bandwidth. Note that video conferencing has much higher upstream requirements than other applications. Below is a list of the most common programs with their respective bandwidth requirements:
Zoom requires between 1 Mbps and 3 Mbps (up/down) for video streaming, depending on the quality, and whether it is 1:1 or group video. Screen sharing and audio VoIP calling uses 60-100kbps.
Skype requires about 1.2Mbps (up/down) for high-definition video, with a minimum requirement of about 0.5Mbps. Group video calls may require 4+Mbps.
Microsoft Teams uses about 1.2 Mbps for HD video calling (720p), 1.5 Mbps for 1080p, 500 kbps for standard quality video (360p). Group video requires about 1Mbps, HD group video uses about 2 Mbps. Audio calling and screen sharing uses up to ~130 kbps.
Notes:
Most residential internet connections quote speeds of "up to" X Mbps. The available bandwidth is shared between clients, and speeds may be much lower at peak times.
Most residential connections provide much higher download speed than uploads. Video conferencing bandwidth requirements are usually equal in both directions.See Also:
What internet speed is needed to watch Netflix and Sling TV?
