| Use | Typical need | Bottleneck |
|---|---|---|
| Email, web, SaaS | 2–3 Mbps per person | Rarely |
| Video meetings | 3–4 Mbps each way per call | Upload |
| Cloud phones | About 0.1 Mbps per call | Reliability |
| AI chat tools | Very light | — |
| AI voice, meeting and video tools | Like video meetings | Upload |
| In-house AI models | Large downloads; upload if shared remotely | Download, hardware |
| Cloud cameras | 2–4 Mbps up each (1080p), 8–16 (4K), all day | Upload |
| Cloud backup | GB × 8,000 ÷ seconds (500 GB in 8 h ≈ 140 Mbps) | Upload |
| VPN users | 3–10 Mbps each | Office upload, firewall |
| Medical imaging, design files | Can be very large | Upload; dedicated fiber |
When to buy dedicated fiber
Guaranteed symmetrical speed, an SLA, larger teams, or systems customers reach from outside. Common in Irvine, Newport Center and Santa Ana's Civic Center.
When SD-WAN makes sense
Multiple locations, or heavy calling over two lines. Single offices usually only need a dual-WAN router.
Business internet in Orange County, compared for you
SoCal Technology Advisors is an independent advisor serving Orange County. Tell us about your location once and we'll line up fiber, cable, wireless and dedicated-internet options from several carriers.
- No cost to you: carriers pay advisors
- A straight answer on your current bill
- Failover options in every quote
- A single contact after install