UFB partner Ultra-Fast Fibre, which operates in the central North Island, is providing free residential connections until 2019. Chorus contributed $20 million to this fund. Photo / NZ Herald
New Zealand's internet speeds continue to get faster, according to an international report on broadband speeds.
The Akamai State of the Internet December 2015 report found that in the past year average broadband speeds rose from 7.3 Mbps to 9.3 Mbps, representing a 27 per cent increase in
speeds for connected New Zealanders.
New Zealand has improved by two places in the rankings since 2014 to now be 41st in the world for average fixed line connection speeds.
Communications Minister Amy Adams said that in 2008, average broadband speeds were around 2.7 Mbps and by the end of last year speeds had tripled.
TrueNet's latest figures reported that connections to the Government's Rural Broadband Initiative are growing by 7 per cent per quarter.
"Faster and more reliable connectivity is vital to all New Zealanders, and the Government's UFB and RBI rollouts are lifting speeds and access right across the country," Adams said.
"The strong progress of the rollout means more than 875,000 New Zealand households, businesses, schools and hospitals are now able to connect to UFB, while almost 280,000 rural New Zealanders are now able to connect to either fixed wireless broadband or improved copper broadband services."
New Zealand's broadband according to Akamai State of the Internet report:
• Average speeds rose from 7.3 Mbps in 2014 to 9.3 Mbps in December 2015
• Peak connection speeds increased to 42.8 Mbps, a 25 per cent increase on the previous year
• The number of New Zealanders with access to broadband speeds over 15 Mbps has almost tripled over the last year
• New Zealand has improved by two places in the rankings since 2014 to now be 41st in the world for average fixed line connection speeds
• Average mobile connection speeds in the last quarter of 2015 were 7.4Mbps
• Peak mobile speeds reached 75.4 Mbps, and 88 per cent of connections were above 4 Mbps.
