NBN upload speeds lagging maximum

NBN download speeds have been improving amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but upload speeds are falling behind maximum plan speeds, according to the ACCC’s latest Measuring Broadband Australia report.

The report, prepared by testing provider SamKnows, found that daily average download speeds for NBN fixed-line services between August and October 2021 improved by between 9% and 15% compared to a pre-pandemic baseline set in February 2020.

But upload speeds continue to lag maximum advertised plan speeds, by an average of 84.9% during the busy evening hours of 7 pm and 11 pm.

ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said this finding is cause for concern. “Upload speed determines how fast you can send information from your computer or device to the internet, which is particularly important for working from home, online gaming and uploading files to cloud storage,” she said.

“Given the growing importance of upload speeds to how consumers use their broadband services, the ACCC is keeping a close eye on how clear retailers are with their customers about upload speeds, and we will consider any necessary amendments to our Broadband Speeds Claims Guidance for industry.”

The disparity is even greater for NBN fixed wireless services, which achieved an average upload performance of 56.2% of plan speeds during all hours, falling to 44.8% during busy hours, the report found.

Consumers on the NBN Fixed Wireless Plus plan are experiencing relatively low upload speeds. A typical videoconference will require 2 Mbps of available upload, which means some consumers might have trouble achieving high quality while videoconferencing, particularly if there are multiple conferences occurring.”

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Henrik Jonsson