Venue Internet: How Much Upload You Really Need, and How to Test
The question that makes or breaks streams is not the camera - it is upload speed at the filming spot. The numbers, the test, and the fallbacks when there is not enough.
The numbers, without fog
A stream needs stable upload with a safety margin of twice the nominal rate of the chosen quality. In practice: good quality (720p) needs 5 Mbps of free upload; full quality (1080p) needs 8 to 10; economy (480p) makes do with 2 to 3.
Note this is upload, not download. Providers advertise '100 Mbps' that refers to download, while upload on the same line can be 5. And on Wi-Fi, the number at the filming spot can be a quarter of the number next to the router.
The week-before test
Go to the venue, stand at the exact spot you will stream from, and run a speed test from the device that will stream. Write down three numbers: upload, ping, and stability across three consecutive tests. Jumpy upload is more dangerous than low, steady upload.
Ask the venue two questions: is there a wired network point near the filming position, and is the hall's Wi-Fi shared with guests (a network splitting among 300 phones on event night is not the network you tested on Tuesday morning).
When there is not enough: three fixes in order
First - a cable: wiring into the venue router solves most problems and beats any wireless option. Second - dedicated cellular: a cellular router or a hotspot from a separate phone (not the streaming device), with reception tested in advance and 5G if available.
Third - give up quality up front: locking the stream to a stable 480p beats a stuttering 1080p. Viewers will not forget freezes; they will not notice resolution. And there is always the last line of defense: audio-only, which passes on almost any network.
Frequently asked
Do viewers affect the broadcaster's bandwidth?
No. The broadcaster uploads one stream to the server, and the server distributes to viewers through a global edge network. Even a thousand viewers put no load on the venue's network.
Can we stream over two connections as backup?
Yes. Push from two devices on two different networks (wired + cellular) into the same broadcast, and the system fails over between them if one drops.
What delay do viewers experience?
A few seconds from the hall - close enough to real time even for applause around a ceremony. The delay is uniform for viewers worldwide.
Read next
Related articles
Gear for Streaming an Event: The Minimal List That Works
You do not need a broadcast van. You need seven items, most of which you already own - and the right priorities.
Read ›Live-Streaming a Wedding: The Complete Family Guide
Grandma across town, a brother abroad, and a hall with mediocre reception. How to stream a wedding everyone actually sees - without a second photographer or a black screen during the chuppah.
Read ›Family Abroad: International Streaming That Just Works
The difference between 'we saw everything, it was like being there' and a disappointed phone call the next day lives in the small details of intercontinental streaming.
Read ›Want to see it on your community?
We set up your organization, walk your first broadcast with you, and talk to your filtering provider.