b'Webwaves WebwavesIan James ASEG Webmasterwebmaster@aseg.org.auFigure 1.February 2023 global internet speeds (from https://www.reddit.com/r/Maps/comments/11sv0lw/ global_median_fixed_broadband_internet_speeds/).Australian internetannoyance when trying to move 10s ofAustralia performs strongly, ranking 14th In Preview issue 179 (2015), Dave AnnettsGB of geophysical data into the cloud.with average download speeds of 91.22 discussed How good is your access toBut the NBN has proven to be incrediblyMbit/s, likely indicating the performance the internet? where, after a recent tripvaluable considering the COVID-19of Australian 5G networks. Despite to the field, he despaired at the lack oflockdowns and the move to working fromthis, coverage is limited, with mobile coverage outside our metropolitan areashome, something that would have beenreception patchy away from population and the impact it has on exploration anddifficult if we were still using ADSL 2+. centres.general life outside of the city. An Editors note in the article agreed with this, citingPart of the motivation for writing aboutWith regards to remote fieldwork in the difficulty in compiling Preview whilethe current state of the internet inAustralia, another change since 2015 is living in a coverage dead spot. Australia is that I have recently receivedthe April 2021 Australia-wide rollout of notification that I am eligible for a fibreStarlink. SpaceX provides the Starlink Eight years on, how have thingsupgrade from FTTC to FTTP. This promisesinternet service through a constellation changed? The year 2015 placed usfaster internet speeds of 250/25 Mbit/s,of thousands of satellites in low earth squarely within the national broadband250/100 Mbit/s or 1000/50 Mbit/s. Stillorbit. For a fixed, low-cost ($200 / network (NBN) rollout, initially proposeddisappointingly shaped with slowermonth) fee, Australians have access to in 2007 and subsequently butcheredupload speeds, but finally offering globallyunlimited data transfer while in remote into a hodgepodge of technologies (thecompetitive internet. Speedtest by Ooklaareas, a major boon to remote field crews. multi-technology mix - MTM for short).(https://www.speedtest.net/global-index)Further developments include newer This included: ranks global download speeds and paintsApple devices offering satellite-based Fibre to the node (FTTN) with up toa disappointing picture of the currentSOS services in locations without mobile ~300 m of copper connecting to thestate of Australian fixed broadband, withcoverage. The latest announcement is property. Anyone marooned on thisAustralia languishing in 84th position withOptus partnering with SpaceX to provide was promised minimum connectionaverage download speeds of 53.88 Mbit/s.satellite-based SMS (in late 2024) and speeds of 25 Mbit/s (slower than theAs a further sign of how far behind ourlater voice and data (in 2025) services average speeds in Madagascar ininternational peers we are, even if we wereAustralia-wide, thereby providing a August 2023) able to access stable 100 Mbit/s downloadfurther boost to accessibility and safety Fibre to the curb (FTTC) with a copperspeeds (the highest generally availablefor the exploration industry and even stretch running from the propertyunder current, standard NBN plans) thisfor remote Preview editors1.boundary to the house. would only lift Australia to 39th, behind Fibre to the premises (FTTP) withTrinidad and Tobago in 38th. SingaporeReferencesoptical fibre directly into the residence. currently tops international download speeds, with an average of 247.44 Mbit/sAnnetts, D., 2015. How good is your While a complaint about the NBN rolloutand the top 10 countries all have speedsaccess to the internet? Preview, 179:45 is well warranted, moving to NBN fromabove 175 Mbit/s. Other global internethttps://www.speedtest.net/global-our appalling ADSL 2+ offered a largespeed comparisons have variable figuresindex, accessed 7 September 2023upgrade in internet speeds. Our FTTCbut similar trends.connection provides a stable 95+ Mbit/s download speed, although it remainsSpeedtest by Ookla (https://www.frustratingly shaped with asymmetricspeedtest.net/global-index) also ranks upload speeds capped at 20 Mbit/s. Anglobal mobile internet speeds and1Editors note: Starlink has changed my life OCTOBER 2023 PREVIEW 36'