How much upload speed do you need?
Upload is the half of your line that carries video calls, cloud backups, photos and live streams out of the house, and on most copper lines it is five to twenty times slower than download. Zoom publishes 3.8 Mbps upload for a 1080p call and 1.2 to 2.6 Mbps for 720p. Three people on calls at once want 10 Mbps or more with steady ping, and working from home with cloud files is comfortable from 10 Mbps and relaxed from 30.
What it means for you
- If your download looks fine but calls freeze whenever someone sends photos, upload is the likely culprit. Pulse measures it.
- Typical part-fibre packages give 18 to 20 Mbps up. Full fibre often gives 50 to 100 Mbps, and symmetric packages give the same up as down.
- Upload is the number to check if anyone in the house streams, works from home or backs up a phone every night.
Full fibre deals with upload speeds shown, at your postcode on BroadbandSwitch.uk.
Compare deals at my postcodeThe numbers behind the chart
| Task | Upload needed (Mbps) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UK legal minimum (USO) | 1 | Ofcom universal service obligation |
| One 720p video call | 1.2 to 2.6 | Zoom: 1.2 Mbps 1:1, 2.6 Mbps group |
| One 1080p video call | 3.8 | Zoom: 3.8 Mbps up per camera |
| Live streaming in 1080p | 6 to 10 | Typical platform guidance |
| Three people on calls at once | 10 to 12 | Pulse rule of thumb: three cameras plus headroom |
| Working from home with cloud files | 10 to 30 | Pulse rule of thumb |
| Symmetric full fibre | 100 to 900 | Upload equals download on many full fibre packages |
Questions people ask
What upload speed do I need for Zoom?
Zoom’s published figures are 1.2 Mbps for a 720p one-to-one call, 2.6 Mbps for a 720p group call and 3.8 Mbps for 1080p. Allow that per camera in the house, plus headroom.
Why is my upload so much slower than download?
Copper, part-fibre and cable packages are built asymmetric. Full fibre is not, which is why upload is the biggest practical gain when you switch.
Does Pulse measure upload?
Yes, since October 2026. Every test reports upload alongside download, ping and jitter.
Use this infographic
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Cite as: UKSpeedTest.co.uk (2026). How much upload speed do you need?. BroadbandSwitch.uk. https://ukspeedtest.co.uk/infographics/upload-speed-needed-for-video-calls-streaming-and-home-working/
Related
- Upload speed test guide
- Broadband speed for Zoom, Teams and video calls
- Symmetric versus asymmetric broadband for home working
Sources
- Zoom. (n.d.). Zoom system requirements: Windows, macOS, Linux (bandwidth requirements). support.zoom.com
- Ofcom. (2023, updated 2026). Your right to request a decent broadband service (1 Mbps upload). www.ofcom.org.uk