subject: How Fast Is Fast When Using The Internet? [print this page] There are many factors that can influence your experience when accessing the Internet. The type of Internet connection, the speed, the number or other users online, and sometimes even weather can play a part.
Here in Australia, people use dial-up, ADSL, and cable or satellite Internet but which one is the fastest? Well, let's start off by answering the following: what is a "fast" Internet speed and what is a "slow" Internet speed anyway?
The slowest Internet connection available is dial-up. This process uses your telephone lines to access the Internet normally at an Internet speed of 56 kbps. Dial-up allows you to slowly navigate the Web, and can be used for news and email features, as long as there are no large attachments or images, images on the page have been optimised for Web, and small download sizes.
In addition, dial-up connections take over your phone line so you cant make calls while someone is accessing the Net. This type of internet service can also be plagued by time-outs (disconnection) or speed variances based on the number of users online.
Dial-up really is the dinosaur of Internet connections, painfully slow and inconvenient but certainly better than nothing if you live in regional or rural Australia. Just.
By contrast, for people with access to fibre optic cables, the fastest Internet speeds available currently are 100Mbps (100,000 kbps). Sending data using fibre-optic cables is extremely fast, but not widespread as of yet. Experimental in the States, in time it should become more widely available and hopefully make it to Auz: keep on the lookout for this new technology! Some cable TV providers offer a cable internet service, which is worth a look and top of the tree for Internet speed.
For convenience, availability, speed and price, most Australians choose ADSL or ADSL 2+. If you are looking to be able to download songs, images or videos, browse the Web and watch streaming video, as well as send email and read pages, then ADSL is the way to go. ADSL services offer Internet speeds between 10 and 20 times faster than dial-up. Most businesses and residences in Australia use this service. It enables you to use your current landline phone connection for data transfer, at a much faster rate, without occupying your phone line.
If you are out in the bush, then the satellite service is your best option, as it enables faster-than-dial-up internet speeds, no matter how far from civilization you are. Unfortunately, the satellite service is effected by weather conditions such as rain, wind and hail. You also need to be within the Governments subsidy area to be eligible for assistance paying for the satellite service and set up.
In Australia, people have rapidly adopted broadband and the market has been quick to evolve, but the networks here still operate at slower speeds compared to other industrialized nations. On average, the broadband speed in Australia is under 7Mbps, while the United States, Germany and Denmark are around the 10Mbps range. Topping the charts are Japan, Korea, and Finland, all having Internet speeds that exceed 20Mbps! (countries with larger populations and smaller land sizes).
While we still have a little ways to go here, gone are the days of waiting three to four minutes for an email or web page to load, while your modem sings that noisy dial-up song.
Simply take advantage of one of the high speed broadband options, and you will be on your way in no time.
