• 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 2008.
• This is an electronic release of Internet Activity, Australia.
• There is no publication release. More detailed and historic information is available in the accompanying datacubes.

• Mobile wireless access connections were 1.30 million subscribers, or almost 20% of all non dial-up access connections. The number of connections using this technology continued to grow at a significant rate, as more ISPs offered this service, networks increased in coverage and prices fell.
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) continued to be the dominant access technology used for non dial-up subscribers, increasing to 4.21 million, or almost 63% of all non dial-up connections.
• Cable, satellite and fixed wireless connections are now available separately for the first time.
• Access to higher download speeds have increased since June 2008, with approximately 50% of all subscribers using a download speed of 1.5Mbps or greater.
• Those subscribers accessing the internet with download speeds of 1.5Mbps to less than 8Mbps represented the greatest number of users (25%). Over 41% of business and government subscribers were using this speed, compared to 22% of household subscribers. This and 8Mbps to less than 24Mbps were the most frequently used download speed for household subscribers.

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

Internet Activity Summary: for all ISPs
			units	Sep qtr 2006	Dec qtr 2007	Dec qtr 2008
Proportion of ISPs(a)
	Very small		%	27	26	26
	Small		%	43	43	43
	Medium		%	24	23	22
	Large		%	5	7	7
	Very large		%	2	2	3
	Total ISPs		%	100	100	100
Subscribers
	Dial-up
		Business and government	'000	277	268	234
		Household	'000	2 472	1 619	1 082
		All dial-up subscribers	'000	2 749	1 887	1 316
	Non dial-up
		Business and government	'000	549	697	1 087
		Household	'000	3 360	4 522	5 593
		All non dial-up subscribers	'000	3 908	5 218	6 680
	All subscribers
		Business and government	'000	826	965	1 321
		Household	'000	5 831	6 140	6 675
		Total subscribers	'000	6 657	7 105	7 996
Access connections
	Dial-up
		Analog	'000	2 724	1 862	1 298
		ISDN/other	'000	25	25	13
		All dial-up connections	'000	2 749	1 887	1 311
	Non dial-up(b)
		ISDN/other	'000	np	np	19
		DSL	'000	2 995	3 815	4 208
		Fixed wireless	'000	np	np	164
		Mobile wireless	'000	np	np	1 298
		Satellite	'000	np	58	80
		Cable	'000	np	np	916
		All non dial-up connections	'000	3 908	5 218	6 685
	Total access connections		'000	6 657	7 105	7 996
Download speeds
	Less than 256kbps		'000	2 757	1 887	1 319
	Broadband(c)
		256kbps to less than 512kbps	'000	1 327	1 580	1 458
		512kbps to less than 1.5Mbps	'000	1 442	1 121	1 181
		1.5Mbps to less than 8Mbps(d)	'000	np	1 045	2 012
		8Mbps to less than 24Mbps(d)	'000	np	1 293	1 653
		24Mbps or greater(d)	'000	np	180	373
		Total broadband (256kbps or greater)	'000	3 900	5 218	6 678
	Total download speeds		'000	6 657	7 105	7 996
Volume data downloaded(e)
	Dial-up		million MBs	2 216	2 693	1 079
	Non dial-up		million MBs	33 931	56 638	80 274
	Business and government		million MBs	6 733	6 247	15 180
	Household		million MBs	29 415	53 084	66 172
	Total volume data downloaded		million MBs	36 148	59 331	81 352
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated
(a) See paragraph 9 of the Explanatory Notes for a description of ISP size categories.
(b) More detail is available in datacube 1.
(c) Broadband refers to an 'always on' internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256kbps.
(d) Prior to December 2007, download speed data is only available for 1.5Mbps or greater. See datacube 2 for more download speed information.
(e) During the three months of the reference period.