The term upstream, as used in regards to data connections and the Internet, denotes the speeds at which data is transferred from an end user device to a data server through a data connection. The term is most widely used in reference to Internet speed.
Upstream speeds are normally measured in bits per second (bps), with the most common measurements used being kilobits per second (Kbps), megabits per second (Mbps) and gigabits per second (Gbps).
The opposite of upstream is downstream – the flow of data from a data server to an end user device.
High upstream speeds are beneficial to digital device users who transfer large amounts of data from their devices to Internet servers. This is the case, for example, if you upload videos to streaming services like Youtube or backup large amounts of data to cloud-based storage.
Many telecom service providers in Switzerland offer asymmetrical broadband Internet connections with downstream speeds which are higher or much higher than their upstream speeds. Asymmetrical plans are disadvantageous to users who upload large amounts of data because uploading takes longer than downloading. Some Swiss broadband Internet plans are Symmetrical, meaning upstream and downstream speeds are identical.
You can use the download calculator on moneyland.ch to find out how much time it takes to transfer a certain amount of data based on the data's size and the connection speed.
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