Australians have a low opinion of our broadband choices
With infrastructure, we think our airports are OK, but broadband bites.
Australians often ignore our country's infrastructure, but new research shows we're particularly dissatisfied with quality of our high-speed broadband.
Findings from the Ipsos Global @ advisor infrastructure Index 2016 reveal more than half (53%) of the 1,000 Australian respondents rated broadband as fairly poor or very poor.
A little over a third (38%) said Australia's broadband capabilities were fairly good or very good.
Australians were most satisfied with our airports (69%) and water supply and sewerage systems (67%).
When asked which areas of infrastructure should be prioritised for investment, many respondents (43%) suggested high-speed broadband.
The only things more important than better internet? Transport. Motorways/major roads (46%), local roads (45%) and rail infrastructure (43%) ranked slightly higher.
Globally, the survey recorded an average 54% satisfaction rating for high speed broadband. Australia returned one of the lowest ratings (38%), only slightly ahead of Brazil (35%), Peru (35%) and Italy (34%).
Australia's broadband is gradually being updated through the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), which now passes close to 3 million homes. While a wide variety of companies offer NBN services, Telstra, Optus and TPG command more than 80% of active NBN connections. However, communications provider Vodafone will begin offering fixed line broadband services before the end of next year.
Recently, NBN has been trialling super fast copper connections and earlier this month we reported that fibre broadband connections have doubled in just 12 months.
Moving house or relocating? Find the cheapest suburbs with NBN access. Slow internet speeds or interrupted connections? Compare broadband plans and bundles to get the best deal at the best price.
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