NBN Signals Success !

The National  Broadband Network is years after its promised completion date and billions over budget and there are serious doubts about whether it will be able to withstand competition now that 5G is becoming a reality.

The intended purpose of the NBN is to provide every household and every business in Australia with access to fast data at a lower cost than is possible with mobile technology.  The usage figures for the past year show that exactly that is being achieved.

Total downloads over the network increased twenty-five percent last year and the average user increased NBN take-up to 258 gigabytes.  Usage was the highest in Queensland and the lowest in Tasmania, but across Australia NBN use made very satisfactory progress.

An interesting usage pattern is starting to emerge.  Demand is highest on Wednesdays and Sundays and activity peaked during the January and April school holidays.  Australia has changed its entertainment habits to the internet and streaming services are quickly replacing the usual fare offered on television.

The extension of NBN services has been matched by an aggressive campaign to recruit more customers by Foxtel and this is certainly reflected in usage figures.  NBN's chief technology officer reports that Australians are now consuming more data than ever before at home and at work. This is consistent with the government view that  NBN and 5G are complimentary technology.  NBN can deliver large volumes of data at a cost which is far lower than mobile technology.

Video streaming now represents the largest usage load in New South Wales and there is the expectation that two market segments will gain market access in the future.   They are  distance  job training and tele medicine.  The job market is ever changing and job seekers need to raise their education level to be keep pace with increased technology.  Medical services will need to adapt to distance consultation to adequately service the increased population numbers of the future.

A twenty-five percent increase in user access in one year is a big jump in NBN use and augers well for the future.  The very fact that it is there and in place will accelerate the bright minds to develop services far beyond our present imagination. It is obvious that data will play an even bigger part in our future.