It's getting a little embarrassing really. Australia has again slipped in global speed rankings for fixed broadband services.
Image: claude05alleva
According to Ookla's latest Speedtest Global Index, March 2019 results indicate Australian fixed broadband* users averaged download speeds of 35.11 Mbps and upload rates of 14.34 Mbps. This saw Australia drop in rank 3 places to 62.
It's not that our fixed broadband speeds aren't improving, but other countries' have been getting quicker, faster. Some of the nations to be well ahead of us include Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Israel and Thailand. Our cousins across the ditch are zipping along nicely - New Zealand was in position 23 for March with a result of 87.92 Mbps download and 51.91 Mbps upload on fixed connections.
Shadow Communications Minister Michelle Rowland's office seized on the results, laying into the Liberals for the decision to switch from predominantly fibre to rolling out the NBN using a "multi-technology mix" - which has been referred to as a "multi-technology mongrel".
"Moreover, at $51 billion, the multi-technology mix costs more than the original fibre plan, and has destroyed significant consumer and taxpayer value," says part of a statement published on Ms. Rowland's web site. "This election is a choice between a Shorten Labor Government with a plan for improving the NBN, or more cutting corners from the Liberals."
As for Labor's plan, there's further details here; but part of it involves addressing in-home cabling issues that degrade NBN service quality. Labor has previously acknowledged there's no quick fix for the NBN.
Holding Our Own On Mobile Broadband
In mobile broadband land things look much rosier; with Australia maintaining its no. 5 position - an average download speed of 58.87 Mbps and upload rate of 15.55 Mbps.
Ookla's Speedtest Global Index compares internet speed data from around the world on a monthly basis, based on the results of hundreds of millions of tests taken by internet users via Ookla's Speedtest service. Ookla's testing platform is the application used for Lightning Broadband's speed test service - give it a try here to see how fast (or slow) your connection is.
*As well as the usual fixed technologies, fixed broadband includes fixed wireless and mobile WiFi.
