Abstract
Executive Summary
Internet and broadband
Despite the ‘Mexican Standoff' between the government and Telstra on the
issue of a regulatory holiday for new broadband infrastructure, broadband
penetration is proceeding at high speed in Australia. By mid-2007, there were
close to 4.5 million subscribers. In the residential market this means a
broadband penetration of close to 64% in Internet households (46% of total
households). In the business market, this figure is over 80%.
While the penetration of broadband in Australia is catching up with its
trading partners, it is still lagging behind in the quality of broadband
provided by the operators and in the price customers have to pay. The majority
of customers are still on services that provide only 256Kb/s or 512Kb/s.
Telstra does make an 8Mb/s service available, but this is not a guaranteed
speed.
Telstra' s competitors are leading the market in the higher speed ADSL2+
services market. The regulator has finally been able to force better unbundled
local loop and spectrum-sharing wholesale services into the market, and
affordable true-broadband services are now available. Telstra is only making
ADSL2+ available in those exchanges where its competitors have installed their
own DSLAMs, so it is being a follower rather than a leader in new and
innovative broadband services.
This report contains only tables of statistics relating to broadband and the
digital media in Australia.
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