Australian internet access doubles since 2001: ABS

[news release] Internet access in Australia has nearly doubled since 2001, according to an analysis of census information released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).In 2001, just over a third (35%) of homes across Australia had internet access; in 2006, that had grown to nearly two-thirds (63%).Nationally, two-thirds (66%) of homes in major cities have internet access, compared to under half (42%) for very remote Australia. Broadband is used by 46% of homes in major cities and 24% in very remote Australia.The Australian Capital Territory had the highest connection rate, with three-quarters (75%) of all homes connected and over half (53%) of these on broadband connections.Similar rates were seen in New South Wales (63% total and 42% broadband), Victoria (63% and 42%), Queensland (64% and 41%) and Western Australia (65% and 41%). The lowest connection rate was in Tasmania, where 55% were connected and 28% were broadband.The report also found that income and education were key factors influencing people’s internet access:

  • households with an income of $2,000 or more per week were three times more likely to have broadband compared to households on less than $600 per week
  • families with children under 15 or dependant students, were three to four times more likely to have internet access than other families
  • people in low skill occupations are about a quarter less likely to have broadband
  • people not in the labour force are 18% less likely to have broadband
  • unemployed people are 12% less likely to have broadband
  • indigenous households are about half as likely to have broadband compared to non-indigenous households.

This news release was sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics website at abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8146.0.55.001Media%20Release12006. There is also a report, Patterns of internet access in Australia, 2006, from the ABS available from abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyReleaseDate/3C0259A57BF969BFCA2573A10017B6BC.

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