8153.0 - Internet Activity, Australia, Dec 2007 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/04/2008   
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INTRODUCTION

  • The Internet Activity Survey (IAS) collects details on aspects of Internet access services provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Australia.
  • This release contains results from all ISPs operating in Australia as at 31 December 2007. For December quarter 2007 there were 421 operating ISPs contributing to the estimates.
  • This was the first collection where the IAS moved to a December quarter cycle to align with the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) requirements. Please see the Explanatory Notes 3-6 for the scope and coverage of the collection.
  • This is an electronic release of Internet Activity, Australia. There is no publication release, more detailed information is available in the accompanying datacubes.


HIGHLIGHTS
  • At the end of December quarter 2007, there were 7.10 million subscribers to the Internet in Australia. This compromised 964,000 business and government subscribers and 6.14 million household subscribers.
  • The number of non dial-up subscribers recorded at the end of December 2007 was 5.21 million, compared with dial-up subscribers of 1.89 million.
  • Non dial-up subscribers increased by 33%, from over 3.91 million to over 5.21 million between September 2006 and December 2007. Dial-up subscribers dropped by 31%, from 2.75 million to 1.89 million.
  • Non dial-up subscribers represented 73% of total Internet subscribers in Australia at the end of December 2007, compared with 59% at the end of September 2006.
  • Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) continued to be the dominant access technology used for non dial-up subscribers, with 3.81 million, or almost 73% of total non dial-up subscribers being connected using this means.
  • Wireless technology continues to increase to over 481,000 subscribers at the end of the December quarter, compared with 186,000 subscribers at the end of the September quarter 2006.
  • Satellite technology increased to over 58,000 subscribers at the end of the December quarter 2007. Data for this technology were previously not available separately because of confidentiality provisions.
  • Connections with download speeds of 1.5Mbps or greater increased to 2.51 million or 35% of subscribers in December 2007, compared to 1.13 million or 17% of subscribers at the end of September 2006. For December 2007 a breakdown of higher download speeds has been released for the first time.


ROUNDING
  • Where figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between the sum of components and the total. Averages have been calculated using unrounded data.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Peta Hart on Perth (08) 9360 5303.

Internet Activity Summary, Australia

March Quarter 2005
September Quarter 2006
December Quarter 2007

ISPs(a)
Very Small
no.
180
124
108
Small  
no.
312
199
179
Medium
no.
162
112
96
Large
no.
25
22
28
Very Large
no.
10
10
10
Total
no.
689
467
421
Subscribers
Dial-up
Business and government
'000
433
277
268
Household
'000
3 744
2 472
1 619
Total
'000
4 177
2 749
1 887
Non dial-up
Business and government
'000
412
549
697
Household
'000
1 391
3 360
4 522
Total
'000
1 802
3 908
5 218
Total
Business and government
'000
845
826
965
Household
'000
5 135
5 831
6 140
Total
'000
5 980
6 657
7 105
Access Technologies
Dial-up
Analog
'000
4 110
2 724
1 862
ISDN/Other
'000
67
25
25
Total
'000
4 177
2 749
1 887
Non dial-up
ISDN
'000
11
3
2
DSL
'000
1 256
2 995
3 815
Wireless
'000
38
186
481
Satellite
'000
np
np
58
Cable/Other
'000
np
np
861
Total
'000
1 802
3 908
5 218
Total all subscribers
'000
5 980
6 657
7 105
Download Speeds
Less than 256 kbps
'000
4 193
2 757
1 887
Broadband(b)
256 kbps to less than 512 kbps
'000
659
1 327
1 580
512 kbps to less than 1.5 Mbps
'000
529
1 442
1 121
1.5 Mbps to less than 8 Mbps
'000
np
np
1 045
8 Mbps to less than 24 Mbps
'000
np
np
1 293
24 Mbps or greater
'000
np
np
180
Total Broadband
'000
1 787
3 900
5 218
Total all access speeds
'000
5 980
6 657
7 105

(a) See paragraph 9 of the Explanatory Notes for a description of ISP size categories.
(b) Broadband refers to an 'always on' Internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256 kbps.