Close to half of Australia's 4.5 million residents connected to the NBN are on broadband plans of 50Mbps or faster - but a large number are still on 12Mbps.
Image: FotoCitizen
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's (ACCC's) latest quarterly Wholesale Market Indicators Report indicates the 2,232,913 users on 50Mbps plans or faster in September represented an increase of 20 per cent on the previous quarter.
Plan Speed Choices
The following shows plan uptake at the end of September based on download rate:
- >100 Mbps: 596
- 100 Mbps: 394,026
- 50Mbps: 1,838,291
- 25Mbps: 1,042,325
- 12Mbps: 1,213,057
- Total: 4,488,295
All told, NBN residential broadband connections rose approximately 8.6%, from about 4.1 million in the previous quarter. The number on 50Mbps plans in September was more than eleven times the figure in December last year (159,000).
Another point of interest is the number of NBN users on 12Mbps, who make more than a quarter of all users and around 14% more than the number on 25Mbps plans.
Connection Technology
Connection technology type as at the end of September:
- Interim Satellite: 0
- LT Satellite: 92,894
- Wireless: 258,425
- HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial): 442,542
- FTTC (Fibre To The Curb): 39,204
- FTTN (Fibre To The Node): 2,246,154
- FTTB (Fibre To The Building): 111,479
- FTTP (Fibre To The Premises): 1,297,327
FTTP market share has dropped substantially from September 2016's 68.2% to just 28.9% in September 2018. Meanwhile, FTTN has jumped from 17.9% to 50% over the same period.
The September quarter was the first time FTTC numbers have been reported.
CVC Capacity
The ACCC notes the amount of CVC capacity acquired for the period was 7,679 Gbps (+12%), averaging out to 1.71 Mbps per user (+3%).
CVC is the acronym for Connectivity Virtual Circuit; a charge that ISPs/RSPs pay to cover the size of the “bandwidth pipe” for an area. The more an ISP is investing in CVC on average per user, the better the internet connection performance should be, particularly during peak periods such as in the evenings.
CVC trends are an aspect the ACCC is watching closely.
"It is important RSPs maintain sufficient CVC capacity to ensure consumers get the service they have paid for, particularly in the busy period,” said ACCC Chair, Rod Sims.
Curious about your connection's performance at different times? You can use our internet speed test during the day and also in the evenings to get an idea of the difference, if any. It's quick and easy to use and is compatible with all connection types (e.g. FTTP, fixed wireless, ADSL and others).
More from the ACCC's latest Wholesale Market Indicators Report can be viewed here.
