APPENDIX WIRELESS BROADBAND
COLLECTING WIRELESS BROADBAND IN THE INTERNET ACTIVITY SURVEY
Since September 2006, the ABS has collected mobile wireless 3G connections via a datacard, dongle or USB modem. Internet connections via mobile handsets were excluded at the time as they were not viewed as a viable alternative to traditional fixed-line internet connections.
With the recent emergence of more powerful mobile handsets, high speed internet access is now possible via a mobile handset (for example, the iPhone or Blackberry). Increasingly, this type of internet connection is viewed as a viable alternative to fixed-line internet access. The ABS has conducted an investigation into a suitable methodology to collect data on internet connections via mobile handsets. In order to capture this information, the mobile wireless definition has been extended to include dedicated data subscriptions and all other active standard mobile subscriptions via mobile handsets.
- A dedicated data subscription is a subscription over a mobile network which is purchased separately to voice services either as a stand-alone service or as an add-on package.
- An active standard mobile subscription is a mobile service which has access to the internet via HTTP and has been used to make a data connection using Internet Protocol (IP) within the three months of the reference period. This includes casual or incidental browsing via a mobile handset where a dedicated data subscription has not specifically been purchased.
These definitions align with the OECD's wireless broadband indicator methodology.
The mobile wireless broadband via a mobile handset data are considered to be experimental while the ABS refines its collection methodology. The data will be released separately as an appendix while the ABS determines the reliability of the estimates. Users are advised to use these data with caution.
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