MEDIA RELEASE
7 October 2014	Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time)	144/2014

Australians downloaded nearly one million terabytes - or one exabyte - of data via broadband in the three months to June this year, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

"Overall, there was a 16 per cent increase on broadband downloads in the three months to December last year," said Lesley Martin from the ABS, "but if you look solely at mobile handsets, then downloads jumped by 40 per cent."

"Our total download volume for the three months was 996,160 terabytes via broadband, and 38,734 terabytes via mobile handset."

"Exactly five years ago, for the three months ended June 2009, we were just about to hit 100,000 terabytes of downloads, so today's result makes a tenfold increase in just five years."

"The increase reflects the dominance of broadband, Australia's continuing appetite for the internet and particularly the swing towards higher download speeds," said Ms Martin.

The survey also found that two-thirds of broadband subscribers had download speeds of eight Mbps or greater, and that mobile wireless is the most prevalent internet technology in Australia, accounting for half of all connections.

Further information is available in Internet Activity, Australia, June 2014 (cat. no. 8153.0) available for free download from www.abs.gov.au.

Media Note:

• The ABS internet activity survey is run twice a year and covers internet subscribers as at end June and December, and download activity in the three months April to June and October to December.
• When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
• An exabyte is approximately one million terabytes.
• Media request and interviews - contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070.