Downloads are up but uploads are down, says experts. And Sydney has faster speeds than Melbourne with Optus and Telstra.

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Confused? Australia’s web download speeds have risen 10% but upload speeds are more than one third slower since 2010, according to a new study.

In other words, Aussies can download movies, tunes and podcasts quicker but uploading our own content to the web now takes longer, which analysts are calling a “bittersweet” development, which is blamed on the “explosion” of tabs and smartphones.

IDC conducted 1,000 plus unique tests of consumer prepay and post paid broadband services across Sydney, Melbourne and nearby areas between October-December 2011.

The average download speed recorded across the three mobile networks, Optus, Telstra and Vodafone, was 3,279kbps and upload was 860kbps.

But it appears there are also major differences between download speeds between Sydney and Melbourne.

Users in Sydney and surrounding areas recorded a download speed that was nearly 18% faster, according to an IDC report.

Optus and Telstra web services showed better download speeds in Sydney, although Vodafone tests had opposite experience being faster in Melbourne.

However, there was “no significant” differences in upload speed and latency between the rival cities, according to the broadband study. 

“Carriers are stepping up their game and we are seeing faster downstream speeds and latency has dropped too by 25%, but the news is bittersweet,” says Dustin Kehoe, Associate Research Director, IDC Australia.

“Despite operators putting more investment into the network, the results suggest some challenges in supporting the explosion of smartphones and media tablets.”