Onwards and upwards for mobile broadband speeds

Gordon Peters
Thursday, 10 June 2010 23:43

IT Industry - Market

Mobile broadband networks in Australia have improved average download speeds by 68 percent in two years to 2,941Kbps, according to IDC, after conducting 2,000 independent tests over a nine month period.

IDC Australia market analyst, telecommunications, Mark Novosel, released the firm's second annual mobile broadband competitive analysis report. Download and upload speeds, as well as latency on all four mobile broadband networks were analysed by IDC over the nine months since 2008, predominantly focusing on metropolitan areas.

According to Novosel, "in 2009, the performance of mobile broadband improved noticeably in most cases, with a significant boost to average speeds, but more importantly, most networks also demonstrated greater consistency of performance, which provides a more satisfying broadband experience.

Telstra has topped the list again this year, ranking first according to IDC's seven assessment criteria. However, Optus was only 4% behind, after demonstrating a 'strong improvement in performance across all metrics assessed, having improved 20% from 2008.'

Novosel said IDC's research tests showed that Telstra scored more highly than its competitors, with average download speeds nearly 60% faster than its nearest rival and no network fallback to 2G encountered. 'The user experience on Telstra was often similar to a good quality residential fixed broadband connection.

"Optus' performance soared in 2009, scoring similarly to Telstra, although slightly more network fallback was experienced. However, performance was fairly consistent and well above both of VHA's networks. Optus now provides a viable alternative to Telstra for anyone willing to sacrifice some coverage and speed, in favour of cost savings."

IDC's report also reveals upload speeds surged in 2009, due to the availability of HSUPA-enabled modems. The average upload speed measured in 2009 was 1,238Kbps, or 169% higher than the 2008 average of only 460Kbps. Meanwhile, average latency fell by an average of 71%, from 447ms in 2008 down to 129ms in 2009.

"With social networking booming, and consumers increasingly sharing images and videos, having a broadband connection with fast upload speeds is becoming critically important. Today, mobile broadband on average provides significantly faster upload speeds than most residential fixed broadband connections.'