Average internet speed in Australia
Find out which state has the fastest Internet in Australia.
Key takeaways
- Queensland residents enjoy the fastest internet at 70.5Mbps average download speed ACT has the lowest at 49.6Mbps.
- Optimal download speeds of 74.2Mbps are found between 12am and 4am across Australia.
- While NBN 50 is Australia's most popular tier NBN 100 users report the highest satisfaction.
We analysed more than 9,569 speed tests conducted on Finder between December 2022 and December 2023 to find out which state has the fastest speeds and the best time to get your streaming, download or gaming fix.
Key statistics
- Queensland has the fastest internet in the country
- Tuesday is the best day of the week to use the internet
- Download speeds are fastest during the hours of 12am and 4am
- The average download speed in Australia is 58.9Mbps
- The most popular NBN speed tier in Australia is NBN 50
Which state has the fastest internet?
The average download speed in Australia is
59.8Mbps
Those in the Sunshine State have a reason to smile beyond the weather - Queensland ranks first place when it comes to download speeds in Australia according to speed tests conducted on Finder.
The average download speed for those in the state was 70.5Mbps.
Not too far behind were residents of South Australia, whose average download speed of 67.3Mbps put them in second place. Rounding out the podium finish was Western Australia, with an average download speed of 59.7Mps giving the state third.
At the other end of the spectrum, spare a thought for ACT residents. It's not enough they have to put up with politicians, but also the lowest average download speed out of all states in Australia. Its average download speed was just 49.6Mbps.
When is the best time to use the internet?
The time with the highest average download speed in Australia is between
12am-4am
If you're a night owl, you're in luck. That's because Finder discovered that download speeds in Australia reach their fastest between 12am and 4am, averaging 74.2Mbps.
The period between 4am and 8am is the slowest time to download, with speeds averaging 54.3Mbps. So maybe don't do that major downloading before you head off to work or study.
Average download speed by time of day across the country (Mbps)
Based on speed test data from December 2022 to December 2023
What is the most popular NBN speed tier in Australia?
The most popular speed tier is
NBN 50
held by 42.5% of Australians
The NBN 50 speed tier is the most popular speed category in the country, with NBN Co estimating it makes up around 43% of NBN wholesale broadband services.
However, its popularity is slowly decreasing with time given people's need for speed seems to be going. The cost of NBN 100 has also gone down following price changes at the end of 2023. NBN 50 has become more expensive meaning the price gap between the 2 speed tiers is now smaller.
Only 2.9% of Aussies were signed up for the fastest NBN plans available at the time (NBN 250 or NBN 1000). NBN 500, NBN 750 and NBN 2000 have launched since.
Good to know: Most Aussies are on the NBN via fixed-line connections, with fixed wireless and satellite making up around 5.1% of services.
How satisfied are Australians with their home broadband speed?
Based on data from Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker, Australians with an NBN connection were the most satisfied with their broadband speeds compared to other connections such as home wireless, mobile broadband and others.
Around 80% of people surveyed said they are either extremely satisfied or somewhat satisfied.
Those with an NBN 100 plan were the most satisfied out of the lot. On the other end of the spectrum, people with an NBN 25 plan were the least satisfied.
Satisfaction with home broadband speed
Based on those who answered Finder's CST that they were either extremely satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their internet speed.
Sources
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