2008 sees rise in number of Australian broadband users by 22 percent to 4.3M

According to the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of statistics the signup by Australian homes for broadband access services from the beginning of the year to 30th June 2008 rose by 800 000, which increased the total number to 4.3 million.

Although compared to the June 2007 figures it shows a 22 percent increase it still leaves the number of home currently without broadband at 48 percent. Almost all the households with an internet connection are now using broadband according to ABS stats with 5.5 million homes now having some form of internet access. The number of homes with access to a computer currently stands at 6.2 million, which equates the three quarters of all households.

The largest number of broadband connections can be found in the ACT with a total of 68 percent of all households, the lowest were Southern Australia with 42 percent and Tasmania having 39 percent. Figures of 51 to 55 percent were found in the remaining states.

A significantly larger rate of access could be found in households that had an income of $120 000 showing 81 percent compared to the 38 percent of homes that had an income of below $40 000. A higher level of broadband access was found in homes with children below the age of 15 with a figure of 67 percent compared to the 46 percent in homes without under 15’s.

Remaining fairly constant at 69 percent were the percentage of household that accessed broadband over ADSL, although cable connections saw a drop of 3 percent it did see a rise of 3 percent in other technologies. The take up of satellite and wireless broadband technologies was seen to be the main driving force for this according to the ABS.

Three percent of all connections to broadband were satellite based as of 30 June 2008. “There continues to be a significant lack of awareness by respondents of the type of Broadband technologies being used (12 percent),” said ABS.