bandwidth

Bandwidth is the amount of data you can send over the internet. It is usually expressed in Megabits per second (Mps) or perhaps Kilobits per second (Kps). 1 Mps = 1,000 Kps. The bandwidth of your connection must exceed the bitrate of your stream. For example, if you wish to support a bitrate of 3Mbps, your connection should above 3Mps. In practice, it's good to have a margin of safety so that a 3Mbps stream should have a 4 Mbps connection.

Of course, these numbers are referring the Uploading bandwith, which is different than the Downloading bandwith. Many basic internet plans will actually provide consumers with more down bandwith than up because most its the dowarward bandwith you need to watch Netflix or Youtube videos, but for streaming purposes it's the upward direction that matters.

Test your connection using a service such the Ookla Speed Test to see what you have available.

Hard-wired internet connections (Ethernet) is always better than wireless networks, but wireless connections have gotten much better in recent years.

Keep in mind that other users may be trying to use the some of your church's bandwith at the same time. If this becomes a problem there are possible solutions such as limiting the bandwith available to guest users of the wifi. It is also possible to configure networks to give priority to upward streaming traffic.

For high-priority streams (like important conferences) is is possible to set-up redundancy through "bonded" networks that combine multiple internet providers, but this is beyond the reach of most churches. However, if you churches wifi does go down, it is often possible to just use a smartphone as a "hot spot" and connect that way if you don't mind using a substantial amount of data on your cell phone plan.

For venues without wifi at all, it's possible to buy a mobile hotspot device that uses the cellular service to create a wifi zone, but make sure to check the pricing of the bandwidth to ensure it will meet your budget.