1377.0 - Measures of a Knowledge-based Economy and Society, Australia, 2003  
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Contents >> Information and Communications Technology Indicators >> Number of non-household (includes business and government) ISP subscribers

CHARACTERISTIC: BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT USE OF ICT

INDICATOR: Number of non-household (includes business and government) ISP subscribers, by internet access speed

At the end of the March quarter 2004, there were an estimated 740,000 active non-household ISP subscribers in Australia. The number of non-household subscribers has grown overall since the inception of the survey in September 2000, increasing 61% over the three years to September 2003 and a further 6% between September quarter 2003 and March quarter 2004. An estimated 30% of non-household subscribers were on broadband access speed plans with the remainder (70%) maintaining a sub-256kbps connection.

NON–HOUSEHOLD ISP SUBSCRIBERS(a), by internet download speed (b)
2001
2002
2003
2004
September
quarter
March
quarter
September
quarter
March
quarter
September
quarter
March
quarter
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
Total Subscribers
559
505
650
659
696
740
Access speed
Less than 256kbps
528
515
256kbps or greater
168
225
(a) Number at the end of the quarter.
(b) Download speed of access connection was collected commencing September 2003.
Source: ABS Internet Activity, Australia, March 2004 (cat. no. 8153.0).


NUMBER OF NON–HOUSEHOLD ISP SUBSCRIBERS

Graph - Number of Non-Household ISP Subscribers
Source: ABS Internet Activity, Australia, March 2004 (cat. no. 8153.0).


STATISTICAL NOTES

The ABS Internet Activity Survey is a census which collects information on aspects of Internet access services and other services provided by ISPs in Australia. Please see the Explanatory Notes of cat. no. 8153.0 for further information on the survey including scope, methodology, data quality, concepts and definitions.

It should be noted that counts of subscribers are not the same as counts of organisations with Internet access (because subscribers may have accounts with more than one ISP and conversely an ISP subscriber account may provide Internet access and email addresses for several organisations).

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Resident Australian individual or business offering Internet access services to customers.

Kilobits.
A kilobit (Kb) is a data unit of 1,024 bits and generally abbreviated as kb or kbit. Data speeds are generally referred to in kilobits (kbps).

Active subscribers
Subscribers who have accessed the Internet or paid for access to the Internet through an ISP in the ninety days during the reference period.

Broadband
Defined by ABS as an 'always on', Internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256kbps.


Business and government subscribers
All businesses, corporations, non-profit organisations and government organisations who obtain access to the Internet through an ISP.

Monthly/quarterly/annual access plan
A subscription option where customers pay a flat monthly/quarterly/annual fee, and receive either a set period of time on-line during the month/quarter/year, usually with additional fees for exceeding that time or set download limits, or a flat monthly/quarterly/annual fee for unlimited access time during the month/quarter/year with other limits usually applying e.g. maximum single session times.

Hourly access plan
A subscription option where customers pay for dial-up access on an hourly basis.



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