Internet Service Provider Survey: June 2010 - Media Release

New Zealanders are accessing faster Internet speeds and larger volumes of data, and they are increasingly using alternative technologies such as cellular, cable, and satellite to connect to the Internet, Statistics New Zealand said today.

The number of subscribers using cellular, cable, and satellite technology increased by more than one-third between June 2009 and June 2010, results from the Internet Service Provider Survey showed, while the total number of broadband subscribers increased by 15 percent.

The number of broadband subscribers with a data cap of 5 gigabytes (GB) or more has continually increased since 2007. Data cap, or data allowance, is the volume of data allowed before restrictions apply.

A greater number of subscribers now also have access to faster upload speeds. Over three-quarters of broadband subscribers have upload speeds of 256 kilobits per second (kbps) or more, compared with one-quarter in 2007.

Results released in April 2010 for the Household Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Survey show New Zealanders are using the Internet for a wider range of purposes. These increasingly require better technology and greater data volumes, and include social networking and telephone services delivered over the Internet. “Faster speeds and larger data volumes are enabling a shift in both social and business behaviours, improving our connectedness to the world, and also allowing for smarter business use of the Internet,” ICT Statistics manager Gary Dunnet said.