Your broadband speed might look great on paper — but if your latency is high, video calls stutter, games lag, and everything feels slow.
Speed vs Latency: What Is the Difference?
Most people obsess over download speed — "I've got 300 Mbps!" — but rarely think about latency. They're fundamentally different things.
Speed (bandwidth) is how much data can flow at once. Think of it as the width of a pipe. Higher bandwidth means more data can travel simultaneously.
Latency (ping) is how long it takes for data to make a round trip. Think of it as the length of the pipe. Lower latency means faster response times.
You can have enormous bandwidth but terrible latency — like a six-lane motorway with a 40km detour.
Why Latency Matters
Low latency matters most for real-time applications:
Video calls (Zoom, Teams, FaceTime): High latency causes the awkward "talking over each other" problem. Below 50ms is comfortable; above 100ms feels noticeably delayed.
Online gaming: Competitive gamers need sub-20ms latency. Even casual gamers notice anything above 50ms. In fast-paced games, 100ms+ latency means your inputs register a fraction of a second late — enough to get you killed.
Web browsing: Every click triggers dozens of requests. At 10ms latency, a page loads almost instantly. At 100ms, there's a perceptible delay with every navigation.
Remote desktop / cloud computing: If you use cloud-based tools for work, latency directly affects how responsive the interface feels.
Latency by Connection Type in NZ
Not all broadband technologies are equal when it comes to latency:
Fibre: 5–15ms — excellent. Light travels through glass at near-light speed. Fixed wireless: 15–40ms — good. Radio waves travel fast but tower processing adds delay. 5G home broadband: 10–30ms — very good, though variable. 4G home broadband: 30–60ms — acceptable for most uses. Starlink satellite: 30–80ms — good for satellite, but variable. Copper VDSL: 20–50ms — decent, but becoming obsolete.
Importantly: upgrading your speed tier (e.g., Fibre 100 to Fibre 300) does not reduce latency. All fibre tiers deliver the same low ping.
How to Test and Improve Your Latency
Test your latency at speedtest.net or fast.com — look for the "ping" or "latency" number, measured in milliseconds.
To reduce latency: 1. Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi (eliminates wireless overhead) 2. Close background apps that use the internet (cloud sync, updates, streaming) 3. Choose a nearby speed test server (Auckland or your nearest city) 4. Restart your router if latency has suddenly increased 5. Contact your ISP if latency is consistently above 30ms on fibre — there may be a network issue
