Data collected by internet speed testing company Ookla has revealed the state of play for Australian internet users, showing rural users are more likely to get fast speed compared to city-dwellers.
Aussie telco Optus took home the crown of Australia’s fastest internet provider for fixed broadband services, with an average speed score of 24.16 megabits per second (Mbps) edging ahead of competitor Telstra’s speed of 22.78 Mbps, according to Ookkla’s rankings. The lowest speed recorded for all the main providers was iPrimus at 15.89 Mbps, while the average speed for all providers in all parts of Australia was recorded at 24.12 Mbps.
The average speed was 6.3% faster than that reported in the US during the first two quarters of 2017 the report shows, but Australia still ranks 56th in the world for internet speed, just behind Guam.
Victorian regional city Geelong took top place in Ookla’s ranking of best internet speed per city nationwide, with Geelong residents landing average speeds of 67.05 Mbps. Following a ways behind with an average of 35.08 Mbps was Queensland capital Brisbane, followed by Newcastle and Wollongong.
The internet service providers offering the fastest speeds in the highest number of cities was tied between iiNet and newcomer MyRepublic, with each boasting the highest speed in three cities. In comparison, Telstra had the fastest speed in just one city: Hobart.
The rankings are based on more than 16 million tests completed using Ookla’s Speedtest tool by 3.5 million Australians in the second and third quarters of this year.
Recently there has been a firestorm of attention focused on the NBN and it’s rollout, including questions around cost, speed, and if the network will be suitable for business customers. In a statement, Ookla concluded that despite efforts from the government, “fixed broadband speeds in the country are not fast”.
“It will be interesting to see if the rapid onboarding of homes to the National Broadband Network and the 2018 addition of G.fast technology to the NBN mix will markedly improve performance or whether consumers and ISPs will opt for the slower tiers of service,” the company said in its report.
Here’s Ookla’s ranking of cities with the fastest internet speeds:.
1. Geelong, Victoria (67.05 Mbps)
2. Brisbane, Queensland (35.08 Mbps)
3. Newcastle, New South Wales (33.97 Mbps)
4. Wollongong, New South Wales (33.72 Mbps)
5. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (32.47 Mbps)
6. Gold Coast, Queensland (32.17 Mbps)
7. Melbourne, Victoria (31.63 Mbps)
8. Sydney, New South Wales (30.03 Mbps)
9. Darwin, Northern Territory (29.62 Mbps)
10. Hobart, Tasmania (27.25 Mbps)
11. Adelaide, South Australia (21.93 Mbps)
12. Perth, Western Australia (17.90 Mbps)
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