Telstra and Optus quicken Australian mobile broadband

Research from analyst firm IDC published Tuesday shows Australia mobile broadband speeds are almost 70 percent quicker since 2008.

Of the operators, Telstra comes away most favourably with the highest speed increase while Optus is recommended as an alternative for those on a budget.

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Australian mobile broadband networks have improved average download speeds by 68% since 2008 to 2,941Kbps, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

Telstra has topped the list again this year, ranking first according to IDC’s seven assessment criteria. However, Optus was only 4% behind, after demonstrating a strong improvement in performance across all metrics assessed, having improved 20% from 2008.

“IDC’s research tests showed that Telstra scored more highly than its competitors, with average download speeds nearly 60% faster than its nearest rival and no network fallback to 2G encountered. The user experience on Telstra was often similar to a good quality residential fixed broadband connection,” said Novosel.

“Optus’ performance soared in 2009, scoring similarly to Telstra, although slightly more network fallback was experienced. However, performance was fairly consistent and well above both of VHA’s networks. Optus now provides a viable alternative to Telstra for anyone willing to sacrifice some coverage and speed, in favour of cost savings,” added Novosel.

“With social networking booming, and consumers increasingly sharing images and videos, having a broadband connection with fast upload speeds is becoming critically important. Today, mobile broadband on average provides significantly faster upload speeds than most residential fixed broadband connections,” said Novosel.

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