How to calculate bandwidth needs for multi-department clinics

Here's a step-by-step guide to calculating bandwidth needs for multi-department clinics:

The Basic Formula

N × T = BN
Where:

N = Number of users/devices
T = Traffic estimate (bandwidth per activity type)
BN = Total Bandwidth Needed

Step 1: Count Users and Devices per Department

List all users and internet-enabled devices across departments:

Department	Users	Devices (Computers, Tablets, IoT)
Reception	3-5	5-8 (registration PCs, printers)
Consultation Rooms	5-10 physicians	10-20 (doctor PCs, mobile devices)
Lab/Diagnostics	5-8	8-15 (diagnostic tools, monitors)
Pharmacy	2-4	3-6 (POS systems, inventory PCs)
Admin/Finance	3-5	4-7 (office computers)
Wi-Fi Guests	10-30	Patients' phones/laptops

Total users = N (FCC recommends counting all employees + IoT devices)

Step 2: Assign Bandwidth Requirements per Activity

Modern clinics use multiple bandwidth-intensive applications. Here are the per-user requirements:

Activity	Bandwidth Needed (Per User)	When Used
Web browsing/Email	1 Mbps	Admin, low-demand tasks
Electronic Medical Records (EMR)	2-5 Mbps	All clinical staff
HD Video Telemedicine (1:1)	2.5-3.5 Mbps upload + download	Physicians doing teleconsults
HD Group Telemedicine	+2.5 Mbps per additional participant	Multi-party consultations
Medical Imaging (X-ray, MRI)	10-50 Mbps per transfer	Lab/radiology departments
Remote Patient Monitoring	4 Mbps minimum per physician	Chronic care programs
VoIP Phone Calls	0.1-0.3 Mbps	All departments
CCTV/IP Cameras	2-5 Mbps per camera	Security systems
Cloud Backup/Sync	10-20 Mbps (nightly)	IT/data management
Guest Wi-Fi	3-5 Mbps per patient	Waiting areas

Key benchmark: FCC recommends 10 Mbps for <5 physicians, 25 Mbps for 5-25 physicians, 100 Mbps for hospitals, and 1000 Mbps for large systems.

Step 3: Calculate Total Bandwidth by Department

Use the formula N × T = BN for each department:

Example: 15-Physician Multi-Department Clinic

Reception (5 users × 1 Mbps browsing/EMR): 5 Mbps
Consultation (10 physicians × 4 Mbps for EMR + telemedicine): 40 Mbps
Lab (6 users × 15 Mbps for imaging): 90 Mbps
Pharmacy (3 users × 2 Mbps): 6 Mbps
Admin (4 users × 1 Mbps): 4 Mbps
Guest Wi-Fi (20 patients × 3 Mbps): 60 Mbps
CCTV (8 cameras × 3 Mbps): 24 Mbps

Subtotal: 5 + 40 + 90 + 6 + 4 + 60 + 24 = 229 Mbps

Step 4: Add Peak Usage Buffer (+20-30%)

Network protocols and traffic spikes require overhead:

Total with buffer = 229 Mbps × 1.25 = 286 Mbps

Step 5: Match to FCC Benchmarks

For your clinic size:

Clinic Type	Physicians	FCC Minimum	Your Calculation
Small rural clinic	<5	10 Mbps	10-20 Mbps
Private practice	5-10	25 Mbps	50-100 Mbps
Multi-department clinic	10-25	25 Mbps	200-300 Mbps
Hospital	100+	100 Mbps	500-1000 Mbps

Your 15-physician example needs 286 Mbps, which exceeds the FCC minimum of 25 Mbps because you're using telemedicine, imaging, and guest Wi-Fi.

Recommended Clinic Internet Plans

Clinic Size	Recommended Bandwidth	Use Case
<5 physicians	10-25 Mbps	Basic EMR, email, 1 telemedicine stream
5-15 physicians	50-100 Mbps	Multiple telemedicine calls, moderate imaging
15-50 physicians	200-500 Mbps	Heavy imaging, concurrent telemedicine, guest Wi-Fi
50+ physicians	500-1000 Mbps	Full hospital operations, cloud backups, 4K video

Quick Checklist for Your Clinic

✅ Count all users + IoT devices (diagnostic tools, monitors, phones)
✅ Identify peak usage times (e.g., 9 AM-12 PM when all departments are active)
✅ Factor in telemedicine needs (2.5-3.5 Mbps per HD call)
✅ Include medical imaging transfers (10-50 Mbps per file)
✅ Add 20-30% buffer for network overhead
✅ Consider upload speed (telemedicine needs 3+ Mbps upload)
✅ Plan for future growth (add 10-20% headroom)

Pro Tip: Use a Business Bandwidth Calculator

Tools like Power Fibre's Business Broadband Bandwidth Calculator let you input:

Team size
Video call frequency
Cloud usage
CCTV/EPOS systems
Guest Wi-Fi needs

This gives automated recommendations for FTTP speeds.

For most multi-department Nairobi clinics, Wavelink Networks' Business Elite (100+ Mbps) or dedicated fiber (200-500 Mbps) plans provide reliable connectivity for EMR, telemedicine, and imaging.