Upload rates for broadband connections across Australia vary wildly - and the fastest and slowest upload speeds among capital cities may surprise you.
In the past, Internet use was a rather one-sided affair; with users being content to receive information and most "uploading" consisting of email. However, the rise of social media and the advent of other easy-to-use publishing tools has seen an explosion in contribution by the masses. Working in the cloud has also become more common.
While download speeds have tended to be the focus of broadband plans, upload speeds are starting to get more attention - particularly with Australia lagging so far behind much of the rest of the world.
The Australian Local Government Association’s State of the Regions report, as reported by AdelaideNow, states the top city in Australia for upload speeds (2016 to May this year) was Darwin. The slowest speeds were recorded in Adelaide.
Here's how the cities compare on upload speed:
Darwin - 7.6 Mbps
Hobart - 5.3 Mbps
Canberra - 4.6 Mbps
Melbourne - 3.8 Mbps
Sydney - 3.1 Mbps
Brisbane - 2.3 Mbps
Perth - 1.7 Mbps
Adelaide - 1.6 Mbps
The statistics were taken from the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) State of the Regions report, prepared by National Economics.
While download speeds in Australia are apparently 10 to 15 times slower than world’s best practice according to the report; upload speeds may be as much as 50 times slower.
Darwin's upload speed may seem pretty fast, but it pales beside what is possible - and possible now. Much higher speeds are already available in some parts of Australia, with some services offering broadband plans with upload speeds as fast as download rates - up to a blistering 1,000 Mbps.
When it comes to internet connectivity, slow and steady does not win the race and an attitude of Australians really not needing fast broadband just doesn't cut it. Australia's broadband situation represents a serious threat to innovation and the nation's competitiveness in the global economy.
“If you want to change the structure of your economy you can’t afford wait, (faster internet) needs to be a priority," Adelaide Now quotes National Economics executive director Dr Peter Brain as saying.
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