International Data Corporation has found that Telstra currently has the fastest mobile broadband in Australia.
They have also reported that mobile broadband networks have improved average download speeds by 68 percent since 2008 to 2,941 Kbps.
The research company said that they “tested the download and upload speeds, as well as latency on all four mobile broadband networks, conducting 2,000 independent tests, over a nine month period, predominantly focusing on metropolitan areas.”
Telstra ranked first out of the four mobile broadband networks, with Optus only trailing by 4 per cent after ‘demonstrating a strong improvement in performance across all metrics assessed, having improved 20 percent from 2008’.
The report also revealed that upload speeds were faster in 2009 due to the availability of HSUPA-enabled modems.
“The average upload speed measured in 2009 was 1,238Kbps – this is 169 percent higher than the 2008 average of only 460Kbps. Meanwhile, average latency fell by an average of 71 percent, from 447ms in 2008 down to 129ms in 2009,” continued IDC.
IDC Australia’s Market Analyst, Telecommunications, Mark Novosel said, “IDC’s research tests showed that Telstra scored more highly than its competitors, with average download speeds nearly 60 percent 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.”
“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.
