• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

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.

• 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.

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

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.