Information on cellular systems adapted from work by Andy Dorman and his article in Network Magazine, June 2003 pp.30-33.

To continue the chart above let's examine the payload requirements of the most demanding IP packet load, streaming broadcast video.

1. 1Kbps requires 1MHz for applications and network
2. 500Kbps requires 500MHz for applications and network
3. 1Mbps requires 1GHz for applications and network
4. 10Mbps requires 10GHz for applications and network
5. 100Mbps requires 100GHz for applications and network
6. ...etc.

Also, if the stand alone computer is used only for end user presentation network then bandwidth speeds above 1Mbps may be excessive. As always, a users workload truly determines what their processor and bandwidth requirements are. We have found that most internet users are sufficiently supplied with a 500MHz or better PC and with dedicated badwidth of 500Kbps.

Field Note: ISP Recommendations
Most internet service providers (ISPs) use some basic rules of thumb to determine how much bandwidth they need to support their online customers. For rules of thumb, an inactive connection requires no bandwidth so it is not considered. Only active customers at a given instant in time are important bandwidth determination factors. We have seen several ISPs use the basic rule of thumb that 25-27 active users require a T1 (1.544Mbps) connection. If your ISP only has 10% of its users active at any one instant in time then this T1 can support 250-270 subscribing users. How does one in the residential market reconcile a T1 speed of 1.544Mbps at $800+ per month and a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) at $30 per month? Who is getting the better deal? All consumer based services are a shared pipe resources. A consumer DSL line may be rated at T1 speeds but at some point in the pipe's path you are sharing the bandwidth with other users and it is being delivered in an asymmetric rate. A consumer may well get delivery of a T1 speed at the instant they request it; but, it is not guaranteed. A T1 line is a dedicated symmetric path that is not shared with any other user and is dedicated to the bandwidth path from the ISP to a major Internet connection point. One should never compare the speeds of an asymmetric service offering to a symmetric service offering based upon bandwidth speeds alone even though the above chart is arranged to suggest you should. A dedicated bandwidth at any comparable speed will be a better service offering if cost was not an object.