Access plan
The Internet access package options available to subscribers from ISPs.
Access lines
Lines, points, ports, modem access points available to subscribers to access their ISP.
Active subscribers
Subscribers who have accessed the Internet or paid for access to the Internet through an ISP in the 90 days during the reference period.
Analog/Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
A telecommunications network operated by a carrier to provide services to the public.
Average data downloaded per subscriber
Calculated by dividing the volume of data downloaded during the three months of the reference quarter by an estimate of the number of subscribers at the middle of the reference quarter.
Average number of subscribers per access line
Calculated by dividing the number of active subscribers at the end of the reference quarter by the number of access lines at the end of the reference quarter.
Broadband
Internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256kbs.
Business and government subscribers
All businesses, corporations, non-profit organisations and government organisations who obtain access to the Internet through an ISP.
Cable
Describes those technologies including coaxial cable, fibre optic cable and hybrid fibre coaxial which are capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 2Gbps. Most cable in Australia is coaxial cable associated with cable television networks; these provide data transfer rates of up to 36Mbps but more often around 10Mbps. Limited fibre optic cable networks exist in many CBDs in metropolitan areas around Australia and offer the highest data transfer rates (up to 2Gbps) and best security as they transmit light rather than electricity but are an expensive option for both ISPs and subscribers. Hybrid fibre coaxial is, as the name implies, a hybrid cable providing some of the benefits of both the alternatives at a lower cost than fibre optic and higher speeds than coaxial.
Data downloaded
Volume of data downloaded by subscribers from the Internet in megabytes MBs).
Dial-up subscribers
Subscribers who connect to the Internet via modem and dial-up software.
Digital/Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
A digital access technique for both voice and data. Digital alternative to an analog public switched telephone service and carries data or voltages consisting of discrete steps or levels, as opposed to continuously variable analog data. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) enables digital transmission over the PSTN.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
Often referred to as xDSL and refers to several digital technologies (e.g. asymmetric DSL or ADSL and Symmetric DSL or SDSL) for fast two-way data connections over the PSTN.
Free access
Free access to an email and web browsing account often provided by ISPs to staff or to subscribers as part of an introductory offer or heavily subsidised by on-screen advertising.
Hosted websites
Customer websites maintained by ISPs on their servers.
Hourly access plan
A subscription option where customers pay for Internet access on an hours-on-line basis.
Household subscribers
Households and private individuals who subscribe to Internet access via an ISP. This may include some home based businesses.
Internet
A world-wide public computer network. Organisations and individuals can connect their computers to this network and exchange information across a country and/or across the world. The Internet provides access to a number of communication services including the World Wide Web and carries email, news, entertainment and data files.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Resident Australian individuals or businesses offering Internet access services to customers.
ISDN
See Digital/Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN).
Kilobit (Kb)
A data unit of 1,024 bits. Data speeds are generally referred to as kilobits rather than kilobytes (hence Kbps).
Megabit (Mb)
A data unit of 1,048, 576 bits, sometimes interpreted as 1 million bits. Faster data speeds are generally referred to in megabits rather than megabytes (hence Mbps).
Megabyte (Mb)
A data unit of 1,048, 576 bytes, sometimes interpreted as 1 million bytes.
Microwave radio
A communication link that uses point-to-point radio transmission.
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.
On-line support service
The ability to get support from an ISP on-line either through search facilities or on-line dialogue with ISP's help desk staff on-line.
Permanent connections
Permanent subscriber access to the Internet via non dial-uppermanent modem, Integrated Services Digital Network, DSL, Cable, Wireless, Satellite, dedicated data service, frame relay, etc. Also referred to as non dial-up.
Point of Presence (POP)
A server in a geographic location where an ISP can be accessed by a subscriber via access lines.
PSTN
See Analog/Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
Satellite/communications satellite
A satellite stationed in geosynchronous orbit that acts as a microwave relay station, receiving signals sent from a ground based station, amplifying them, and retransmitting them on a different frequency to another ground-based station. Satellites can be used for high-speed transmission of computer data.
Start up disk/package
A CD-ROM or floppy disk containing software for Windows or Macintosh systems that includes configuration information for the dial-up software plus an email 'client' program (e.g. Eudora/Pegasus) plus a navigator package.
Subscriber
An ISP customer to whom Internet access is provided. Included are paying and non paying customers, email only subscribers, dial-up subscribers and those with permanent (non dial-up) connections. Excluded are customers who purchase other services from an ISP, such as web hosting, but do not obtain Internet access.
Virtual ISP
An ISP who does not own or operate their own network of servers (POPs) but instead relies on infrastructure provided by a third party.
Virtual POP
A POP which is provided by a third party infrastructure business or another ISP for use by multiple ISPs including those used by Virtual ISPs.
Web hosting
See Hosted websites
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
A standard for providing Internet access and other data-based services, such as e-mail, electronic transactions, news and weather reports, over wireless networks generally via mobile phones. Now largely superseded by IEEE 802.11x or WiFi.
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