Calculate the bandwidth and monthly data a set of concurrent video streams needs at a given quality level.
Concurrent sessions multiplied by per-session bitrate gives the aggregate demand; the overhead factor covers packet headers and retransmissions. Dividing by 8 converts bits per second into bytes to get the data volume. Sizing a link on average usage guarantees congestion at peak, and monthly data volume is what actually triggers a cap or an overage charge on a streaming service.
Streaming Bandwidth
Bandwidth (Mbps) = Concurrent streams × Bitrate per stream × (1 + overhead)
Bandwidth (Mbps) = Concurrent streams × Bitrate per stream × (1 + overhead) Concurrent sessions multiplied by per-session bitrate gives the aggregate demand; the overhead factor covers packet headers and retransmissions. Dividing by 8 converts bits per second into bytes to get the data volume.
Sizing a link on average usage guarantees congestion at peak, and monthly data volume is what actually triggers a cap or an overage charge on a streaming service.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Concurrent streams, Bitrate per stream, Protocol overhead, Hours of use per day. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.