ACCC ends its Measuring Broadband program with fixed-line speeds at 99.4 per cent of plan
After eight years, the independent household speed tests are finishing. The regulator will keep monitoring through provider data.
The ACCC’s 33rd and final Measuring Broadband Australia report found fixed-line NBN households received an average of 99.4 per cent of their plan’s download speed in the evening peak, between 7 pm and 11 pm on weekdays. The previous report showed 98.5 per cent.
Early reports in the program measured 80 to 85 per cent. Underperforming services fell from 13.9 per cent of fixed-line connections in May 2018 to 5.6 per cent.
On Fixed Wireless, the Home Fast plan averaged 160.5 Mbps down and 12.6 Mbps up during busy hours.
What changes now
The program used thousands of volunteer households with hardware test units. The ACCC says it will keep monitoring performance using data collected from service providers, and will keep taking action on misleading speed claims.
What it means
Consumers lose a regular, independent, provider-by-provider comparison. The ACCC’s reasoning is that the removal of capacity-based charges and smaller gaps between providers have changed the market since 2018.