Broadband speeds have jumped 20 per cent during the past eight months according to a report based on thousands of consumer experiences, but experts warn that Australia still falls well short of its peers internationally.

Regional areas also still lagged well behind Australian cities, based on the 10,000 real-life speed tests captured by online broadband comparison website, http://www.broadbandexpert.com.au/

It said average rural speeds of 4.29Mbps compared negatively with the 5.28Mbps enjoyed by city dwellers and  also revealed that Optus broadband networks were faster than Telstra's BigPond by an average of almost 1.5Mbps.

“A 20 per cent increase in average speed in such a short period of time is an impressive result. However, it's important to remember that regional Australia is still being left behind,” said Rob Webber, commercial director at Broadband Expert.

The Broadband Expert calculates average UK and US broadband speeds at 5.93Mbps and 5.75Mbps respectively.

According to telecoms analyst, Paul Budde, the figures released by Broadband Expert, are indicative of current trends in the market.

“I think the trend is correct. Yes we are making progress, but at the same time we are still way behind some of the leaders in the market and the gap between us and others is actually increasing."However Budde said the real speeds of the average Australian were likely to be substantially lower than those highlighted by Broadband Expert, with the majority (50 to 60 percent) of broadband users sitting at between 1.5 to 2mbps.

“More broadband savvy people would most likely visit the site and of course they would already have a higher speed, therefore I think the results could be skewed," he said.

Budde believes only 20 per cent of broadband users enjoy speeds of between 5 and 9Mbps – a factor that he said would be remedied by the National Broadband Network that the government has begun rolling out in selected sites around Australia.


http://www.theage.com.au/technology/broadband-getting-faster-but-still-too-slow-...

What’s pissing me off now about this NBN is when the rollout passes my house I will be required too pay for the connection even if I do not want it. Else face loosing my land line. And it will also require me to supply electricity too power the unit yet another on going cost.

nichy wrote on Oct 20^th, 2010 at 6:53am:








It all sounds quite  BIZZARE !
Close to 100% take-up on the mainland - and just on half in Appalachia ?



NBN Co has reported a higher level of support for fibre optic broadband in mainland Australia than expected, with a 90% consent rate in some test towns.

The reason this result has been such a shock is because the Tasmanian NBN Co, the first to roll out fibre optic test sites in Australia, saw a disappointing 51% of Tasmanian homes agree to the connection. This caused many to pause and question the viability and necessity of such a massive publicly funded infrastructure project.

Now, the NBN is being rolled out to over 12 thousand homes in five areas around mainland Australia. Resellers of retail-based fibre optic broadband will begin offering both broadband and telephone services in around eight months time. Wholesale pricing of the fibre optic service has yet to be finalised, but it will have to be approved by competition analysts first, which should mean the cost would be affordable to the masses.

NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley recently told BusinessDay: "We are very happy with what we are finding in the first release sites on the mainland … That is a number considerably above what we had anticipated.''

Mr Quigley was referring to the consent ratios in the four towns of Armidale, NSW; Townsville, QLD; Kiama, NSW; and Willunga, SA. Homes within the fifth test area of Brunswick in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne will be receiving consent forms later this week.

Armidale has come out on top as the most ‘broadband hungry’ location thus far, with 87% of all homes in the test zone asking to be connected to a super-fast broadband service.


http://www.comparebroadband.com.au/article_720_Up-to-90-of-mainland-Australians-...

buzzanddidj wrote on Oct 20^th, 2010 at 5:46am:


I dont know a single person whose speed is less than 5Mbps. this so-called 'average' they are sprouting must include dlai-up to be so low. ADLS2+ has up to 24Mbs with an average of 12Mbps.

buzzanddidj wrote on Oct 20^th, 2010 at 9:53am:


Surprising in a recent study 99.9% of respondents when asked if they wanted a Ferrari agreed.  When you told them afterwards it was going to cost them $100 more a day than their current vehicle, not too many were keen.

There is no way on earth I will agree to the NBN connection to my home until I can determine the retail cost of the services and their comparison to my current costs.  Essentially I have no need for the additional speed and would prefer not to pay any more for it than my current service.

Verge wrote on Oct 20^th, 2010 at 8:08pm:


In our office they all sit at the lunch table connecting via the office wireless router on their iphones checking out facebook and playing games.

There is still a fair amount of natter, I usually eat at my desk and keep on with the job.  No time to stop, that's what after hours are for.

buzzanddidj wrote on Oct 21^st, 2010 at 9:10am:


developing opinion and policy based on YOUR situation is hardly altruistic. we already know and accept that the broadband situation in the bush is pathetic and needs to be fixed. thats why Howard signed contracts to give ALL regional areas ADLS 2+ by end 2009.

Pity Rudd cancelled it...