Put your connection to the test (and take Australia to the cleaners)
Who likes being beaten by Australia? No-one, that's who! And while the Aussies might give us a run for the money in the cricket and are known to field a rugby team, there is one area where New Zealand is head and shoulders, er, ahead of our trans-Tasman mates. Internet speeds. And now, you can do your bit and stick it to the West Island simply by speed testing your connection. This article will explain how, and why.
But first, cast your mind back for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. OK, so this one probably won't be sepia-tinted, but might instead induce a wince. Remember those jingling jangling modems we once used? Those things signified the use of copper phone wires for internet connections, once upon a time known as dial-up, with a PTSD-inducing tone included. We once thought 56 kilobits per second was pretty fast before 'advanced' copper technologies like ADSL2 and VDSL hit the market.
Thankfully, all that is history. Announced in 2011 and with a rollout starting in 2015, the Ultrafast Broadband network is in an advanced state of completion. The latest Connectivity Update expects that by next year, 87 percent of New Zealanders will have access, increasing to a whopping 99.8 percent by 2023. Not bad for a sparsely populated nation of mountains, valleys, and other hard-to-reach places.
What that all means for you, is a truly fast connection. Not just in relation to the old jingler (a 'standard' 100 Mbps connection is about 2,000 times faster than a 56k modem; connections of up to 80 times faster than the 100Mbps are readily available), but in relation to the world. And, of course, Australia.
Measuring connection speeds is pretty straightforward, with a simple web-based program assessing how fast your device uploads and downloads information by accessing test servers. This mimics online activity by uploading and downloading sample files while recording how long it takes. Those 'junk' files don't stay on your computer, either.
Now, here's the thing. Demonstrating New Zealand's broadband superiority to our tanned cousins depends on ordinary folks like you testing your connection.
That's right, YOU can and should participate in the 'Great Broadband Test Match'. It's easy, too. Just fire up Ookla's Speedtest.net in your browser and hit 'Go'. Then sit back and enjoy the results (do it from your home connection and when you're on mobile data).
Right now, data from Speedtest and other sources put New Zealand at 23rd in the global fixed broadband rankings with an average speed of 171 Mbps, and 29th for mobile broadband at 76 Mbps. The Aussies, bless them, sit at 58th for fixed broadband at 83 Mbps, but (yikes) have a superior speed of 135 Mbps for mobile. We can do better, New Zealand. Especially since our standard broadband packages often exceed 900Mbps, with 'hyperfibre' delivering 2,000, 4,000, and even 8,000Mbps.
Testing matters because internet quality is among the determining factors for quality of life and contributes to things like the Human Development Index, and influences the attractiveness of our country for investors and quality immigrants who might want to make New Zealand their home. It also provides an unparalleled opportunity to show off to your mates on social media, and of course, advances the all-important trans-Tasman rivalry in favor of New Zealand.
She's a big job (not really), so roll up your sleeves, fire up Speedtest.net, and check out your broadband performance. Data from your test anonymously goes into a pot which helps determine those global rankings. Let's get testing, New Zealand, it's simple, takes under a minute, and as a bonus, it helps troubleshoot internet issues.
After more comprehensive findings of how local broadband performs by the type of connection? Check out the regular reporting by the Commerce Commission. It's a great source of information.
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