Australia's consumer watchdog wants internet providers to openly advertise typical download speeds for their broadband plans, as it says download speeds have "become more important to consumers" in recent years. .
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says clear broadband download speeds started to decline in 2020, just as download speed has become more significant with the shift to learning at work and at home.
"At the same time, information about download speeds has become more important to consumers who rely on download speeds to perform activities at home that were previously performed in the workplace and in education," it reads. in the ACCC consultation document.
While ISPs are required to clearly state typical download speeds for each plan, the ACCC found that most do not expressly state download speeds for their broadband offerings.
Some providers will list the download speed for each plan in their summary of critical information, but a link to this page is usually small and hard to find, and sometimes even doesn't include explicit details.
100 Mbps plans make things even more complicated. There was originally a single NBN 100 tier with a 20Mbps download speed, until NBN Co introduced a new NBN 100 tier in May 2020 with a 40Mbps download.
Providers sometimes identify the two plans as NBN 100/20 and NBN 100/40, although this is not consistent and it can be difficult for consumers to know what they are really paying for.
As the ACCC looks to update its advice to providers on broadband speed claims, it also looks to determine when the peak period for download speeds is.
Internet providers consider the peak time for downloads to be 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm, and while the ACCC suggests that this time period appears to be the same for downloads (based on current information), it wants Let providers test it themselves to fairly measure your typical download speeds. . Given the prevalence of work and homeschooling, it can come much earlier in the day.
Why is internet download speed important?
Download speed is an important factor in online gaming, but as countless Australians have switched to working or learning from home, the ACCC believes it plays a bigger role for all internet users than ever before.
The better download speeds can improve video calls (a common thing for most Aussies now), and it's also handy for downloading and sending large files over the internet, whether it's a school assignment or audio and video files for work. .
If you are unsure of your current download speed, contact your provider or look on their website. Alternatively, you can do an NBN speed test to see how fast your upload and download speed really is.