NEW YORK – Australia ranks 21st among world nations for the percentage of the population connected to the Internet, with 79 percent now online Down Under, according to a new survey by a United Nations agency.
That suggests 21 percent of the population remain without connection to the Net.

This places Australia well behind top-ranked northern European nations such as Iceland (95pc connected), Norway (94pc) and Netherlands (92pc) – not to mention trans-Tasman neighbour New Zealand which came in at ninth place with 86 percent of Kiwis connected.

On the other hand Australia finished ahead of the USA, (23rd with 77.9pc), Singapore (27th, 75pc) and Russia (61st, 49pc).

The State of Broadband 2012: Achieving Digital Inclusion for All report, issued by the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development, evaluates the roll-out of broadband in 177 countries around the world.

It tracks progress towards achieving targets set by the commission in 2011 for boosting broadband affordability and uptake.