New Zealand’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) and Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) programs have been shown to have improved internet speeds in the nation threefold since 2008.
Communications Minister Amy Adams said the December 2015 Akamai State of the Internet report found that in the past year, average speeds rose from 7.3 Mbps to 9.3 Mbps, representing a 27% increase in speeds for connected New Zealanders.
TrueNet’s latest update on RBI connections also found the government’s scheme is growing by about 7% each quarter. Rural New Zealanders covered under the first phase of RBI are now able to access websites at a rate three times faster than they would otherwise have been able to.
“In 2008, average broadband speeds were around 2.7 Mbps. By the end of 2015, average speeds have more than tripled to 9.3 Mbps,” Minister Adams said. “Faster and more reliable connectivity are vital to all New Zealanders, and the government’s UFB and RBI rollouts are lifting speeds and access right across the country.”
Akamai data also shows that peak connection speeds in the country increased to 42.8 Mbps, a 25% increase on the previous year. The number of New Zealanders accessing over 15 Mbps has almost tripled over the last year.
Meanwhile, average mobile connection speeds in the fourth quarter of 2015 were 7.4 Mbps. Peak mobile speeds reached 75.4 Mbps, and 88% of connections were above 4 Mbps