When milliseconds matter: Cutting-edge internet keeps gamers ready to play

This piece is sponsored by Midco.

Andy Meier is enough of a gaming veteran that he can remember all the old-school favorites.

“In preschool I was playing the old Atari,” he said. “Nintendo, Sega, and now it’s Madden, Infamous or Call of Duty. I’ve been gaming all my life.”

So has his co-worker Cody Waugh.

“Back when I was 4 years old, it was playing Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo,” he said. “I still play pretty much every day. Now, it’s the Oblivion remake, League of Legends, kind of everything. I like the social aspect and the narratives you find in gaming.”

Both gamers uniquely understand it’s not just skill – and sometimes a little luck – that makes a winning gaming experience.

As team members at Midco, they’re especially aware that a gamer’s home internet connection can make a huge difference when milliseconds count.

“For me, gaming helps to relax and get away from the craziness of everything going on in the world – to have a little escape,” said Meier, who works as a sales representative.

“Plus, I’m competitive by nature. I love trying to be the best I can and figure things out. But the whole experience depends on your connection, so I do a lot of research on it, especially when it comes to internet speeds and equipment.”

Part of his job is helping Midco customers select the best internet package for their household’s needs – and as a gamer, he knows just what questions to ask.

“I’ll ask about what gaming platform they use because different platforms have different maximum download speeds. My PC is different than the one I’m building for my kid. Gaming consoles are different, too, between older and newer versions,” he said.

“So it’s important to ask about what device you’re using so we can match your needs – plus take into consideration what else is happening in your home. If you’re streaming videos, if you use smart thermostats and cameras, those all can figure into your internet needs. ”

The No. 1 factor for gamers is how fast your service will download and upload, said Waugh, who works on Midco’s outbound and digital team.

“That’s especially true with competitive games,” he said. “Many will frequently require downloading patches, which can be large downloads. So you want to make sure you have a fast speed. Otherwise, you could be sitting there for a couple hours waiting to play with friends.”

While download speed is important, “upload is equally so,” Meier added. “That ties to the input you’re sending back – what happens when you press on the controller or the mouse and keyboard. Those milliseconds matter if you win the battle or are dead in the game.”

That’s also true if you’re a gamer who enjoys livestreaming your work on platforms such as Twitch or YouTube.

But the biggest element needed for superior gaming is latency. “Our Midco server communicates with the server wherever the game is being played,” Waugh said. “It could be across the country or across an ocean.”

“Latency” refers to the delay experienced from the time the user initiates an action on a web application or network to when a response is received – the round-trip time it takes for data to travel. Think of it like a road trip that can be impacted greatly by stoplights, congestion or construction.

In 2021, Midco began investing $500 million to upgrade and expand all its fiber networks, resulting in lower latency for customers, even though the company already holds the claim to most-responsive internet based on multiservice latency in South Dakota, according to Ookla.^Ⓡ

In the gaming world, “you definitely can tell the difference,” Meier said. “My friend lives in Omaha, and you can see him playing right in front of you, and suddenly he’s not. He’s bounced back a few seconds and isn’t synced up with the game. It’s a horrible experience, and you definitely see it.”

The same update Meier can download in 10 minutes takes his friend four or five hours, he added.

“I’ve been a Midco customer for over 20 years, and it’s nice to see a company that doesn’t sit static,” he said. “They’re moving with the times, they’re investing in their network, and it’s a great thing to see.”

Explore more at Midco.com/Gaming.