When it comes to broadband options, we’re not exactly leading the pack when you look at global data. But the latest data from the Speedtest Global Index shows Australia’s NBN fixed broadband speeds are improving in speed and global ranking and our mobile broadband holds strong in the top 10.

The updated data shows a clear leap in speed during February and March 2021 in Australia, undoubtedly a byproduct of the free speed upgrade on NBN. So it will be interesting to see what happens in four months time when users can pay to keep the upgrade or return to their old connection speed.

What this shows quite clearly is that the lower-cost plans, with lower speed allowances, are widespread. For many Australian households, there genuinely isn’t a need for higher speed but for others, the cost is an issue. This makes me wonder if NBN connections were flat rate, allowing users all the speed their connection could handle: Where would we rank globally?