When discussing internet speed, most people think of download speed, how much data a webpage or film downloads per second. However, when working from home, the speed in the opposite direction is at least as important: sending data, technically known as upload. And it is precisely here that tariffs differ the most.
Why sending data is so important
Video calls with colleagues or clients, screen sharing, uploading files to the company cloud, backing up photos and documents, accessing the company server via remote connection, all these activities depend mainly on how fast the connection can send data out, not on how fast it can download them. If a tariff offers fast downloading but slow uploading, the video call image lags, screen sharing stutters, and uploading larger files to the cloud takes unnecessarily long.
What does symmetrical connection mean?
Symmetrical connection offers the same upload and download speeds: typically found in optical tariffs with a 1:1 ratio, for example 500/500 Mb/s. Older technologies such as DSL or cable TV often have a significantly unbalanced ratio, sometimes as high as ten to one in favour of downloading. This is acceptable for watching videos but not suitable for working from home with regular video calls and cloud tools.
When symmetry is most apparent
Symmetrical connection is most noticeable when multiple tasks run simultaneously: a video call on one computer, backup on another, and file sharing with a colleague via the cloud. With an asymmetrical tariff, these activities compete for limited upload capacity and all slow down at once.
Practical situations where the difference is most noticeable
During video calls, colleagues suddenly experience frozen images or degraded audio quality, even though downloads on the same connection work without issues. Uploading a large file to a shared drive takes significantly longer than expected because the video call and background cloud folder synchronization are competing for the same limited upload capacity. Backup software scheduled for the night fails to send all data by morning because the upload speed is only a fraction of the download speed. In all these cases, the cause is the same: an asymmetric ratio between downloading and uploading.
How many dispatch speeds are actually enough
For a standard video call by one person, upload speeds in the range of single-digit Mb/s are sufficient. Problems arise during concurrent usage: a video call, background backup and file sharing with a colleague suddenly require tens of Mb/s of reserve capacity. This is precisely why, for home-working tariffs, it pays to look at the actual upload speed, not just the advertised download figure, which is always featured first in marketing materials. A household with two people working from home simultaneously needs significantly more reserve capacity than a single-person household, and this applies bidirectionally: both for downloading and uploading.
Equally important is connection delay, technically known as latency, which is the time it takes for data to reach the other end and return. With symmetric optical tariffs, this is typically low and stable, which is particularly noticeable during video calls, picture and sound remain in sync even during longer calls with multiple participants.
How to measure your home connection
Connection speed can be easily verified using one of the freely available online speed tests. When measuring, it is worth following a few rules: test via cable, not Wi-Fi, as a wireless network in an apartment usually reduces speed. Test at various times of day, including the evening peak when the connection is most heavily used. And compare both figures, download and upload: not just the first one, which is often highlighted in the results.
What to do when dispatch is slow
If repeated tests show a significantly lower upload speed than promised in the contract, it makes sense to ask the provider whether the tariff is truly symmetrical or only advertised by its download speed. For optical connections, a 1:1 ratio is standard. We write more about what to ask providers in the article How to choose an internet providerCompanies requiring guaranteed speed in both directions will also find it worthwhile to enquire about guaranteed hotline and SLA.