The cost of a Telkom ADSL line is still pretty steep compared to other regions, but there have been plenty of price drops over the years in terms of bandwidth.

As a result, we're seeing a lot of people looking at the service to fulfill their needs – but what's the best speed for you?

It stands to reason that faster is better, but if you're just checking your Gmail and Facebook messages, a 10Mbps line isn't for you.

384Kbps

Telkom's most affordable option is the 384Kbps offering, which costs R152 a month for the ADSL line.

This option is ideal for light internet users making use of their connection for emails, social networking and the occasional short video clip.

However, you'll wait ages for YouTube videos to buffer and streaming music won't always be a smooth experience.

Downloading large files (over 1GB in size) is also a waiting game, taking hours to complete.

Internet telephony via Skype and other services don't require much bandwidth so they should work just fine. However, video-calling will be pretty choppy at best, necessitating a faster line speed.

Playing games on a 384Kbps line isn't a bad experience though, with shooters and action games being perfectly playable for the most part. However, when it comes to downloading patches and other game-related content, you'll be twiddling your thumbs for a while.

An uncapped account from MWEB, Afrihost and other ISPs will set you back around R200.

1Mbps

The mid-range Telkom offering is obviously a lot more expensive than the low-end package, costing R289.

However, the 1Mbps line speed is closer to what broadband should be, being almost three times faster than the 384Kbps line.

The 1Mbps line is great for a family, with multiple users able to browse the web without hindering others too badly. It's also a decent option for those wanting to download content and listen to streaming music and radio stations   

Need your fix of online video content? Well, you'll still need to endure some buffering most of the time. But you'll only need to wait a few seconds as opposed to a few minutes on a 384Kbps line.

If downloadable games and content is your thing, the 1Mbps line is no slouch either, with game downloads taking less time. However, larger games can often weigh in excess of 10GBs, so you'll need to leave your machine on for a while (and by "while" we mean 24-48 hours possibly).

The 1Mbps uncapped accounts have also seen a price drop in recent weeks, now retailing for around R200 from MWEB, Afrihost, Axxess and others.

4Mbps

The high-end 4Mbps offerings will cost users a pretty penny at R413 per month, being four times faster than the 1Mbps line.

The 4Mbps option is also ideal for families, especially those with a mix of WiFi-enabled devices and computers.

Hardcore downloaders should opt for the 4Mbps offering, money permitting, as large files can be downloaded pretty quickly. 

Watching online videos is a pretty pleasant experience too, with videos taking scant seconds to buffer, if at all. Audio streaming is no problem on a 4Mbps line either.

Another upside to getting a 4Mbps line is video-calling, with decent video quality and little choppiness to be had.

The service is also ideal for gamers using Xbox Live and Steam, with patches and game downloads easily consuming a few gigabytes.

A 4Mbps uncapped data account will set users back roughly R500 a month.

10Mbps

The fastest line speed costs the same as 4Mbps, with Telkom upgrading users free of charge.

High-definition video streaming, subject to buffering on a 4Mbps line at times, is possible with 10Mbps.

Of course, downloads are also more than twice as fast as 4Mbps accounts, putting it in line with the rest of the connected world.

So, if you own an internet-enabled TV, Apple TV or another HD-capable device, this is your best option for enjoying high-quality content without looking at a loading screen.

You'll pay top-dollar for a 10Mbps uncapped account, with Afrihost charging R997 (the lowest price for 10Mbps uncapped on the market right now). Axxess charges R1599, while MWEB charges R1999.