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Its latest report features data on Starlink and NBN Sky Muster.
“Many consumers in rural and remote areas do not have access to a fixed-line network and rely on alternatives such as satellite services to connect to the internet,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.
“We have expanded the Measuring Broadband Australia program to include performance data for satellite services to help these consumers make informed decisions about which service may offer the best value for them.”
The report found that Starlink outperformed NBN Sky Muster in terms of delivering higher data transmission speeds and lower latency.
The maximum speed for NBN Sky Muster observed in the report was approximately 111 Mbps for downloads and 22 Mbps for uploads. Starlink connections are capable of higher speeds, with the report recording peak speeds of approximately 470 Mbps for downloads and 74 Mbps for uploads.
The average latency for Starlink was 29.8 milliseconds across all hours, compared to 664.9 milliseconds for NBN Sky Muster services. Latency refers to the time it takes to send data from a user’s device to a server and back.
Starlink’s lower latency is indicative of a more reliable experience than NBN Sky Muster when using real-time applications such as video conferencing and online gaming.
The report also found that Starlink’s average download speed was 192 Mbps across all hours, decreasing to 165.5 Mbps during the busy hours of 7pm to 11pm on weeknights. Starlink’s upload speeds were steady throughout the day, with an average speed of 28.6 Mbps across all hours compared to 27.8 Mbps during busy hours.
NBN Sky Muster recorded an average download speed of 83.2 per cent of maximum plan speeds across all hours, decreasing to 66.1 per cent during busy hours. NBN Sky Muster’s upload speeds were also relatively steady throughout the day, with an average speed of 112.6 per cent of plan speeds across all hours and 102.6 per cent during busy hours. The highest download and upload plan speeds used in this calculation were 100/10 Mbps.
“When deciding which plan or provider is best for you, we encourage consumers to consider both the performance data as well as the price of the service and their household’s broadband usage needs,” Brakey said.
In addition to the new satellite services data, the report continues to monitor the broadband performance for NBN fixed-line services. In September 2024, the average download speed for NBN fixed-line connections during the busy hours was 100.9 per cent of plan speed. This result was consistent with the previous quarter’s result of 100.4 per cent observed during May 2024.
The overall proportion of underperforming NBN fixed-line connections decreased from 4 to 3 per cent of all volunteers between the last two reports, a new low in the program’s history.
Underperforming services very rarely, if ever, achieve at least 75 per cent of their plan download speed. The proportion of underperforming services with a fibre-to-the-node connection remains higher than other fixed-line technologies.
Read also: Government delivers broadband upgrades for millions
The number of fibre-to-the-node connections included in the Measuring Broadband Australia program has declined over time due to many volunteers upgrading their connection to fibre-to-the-premises.
While an upgrade may alleviate speed constraints imposed by the consumer’s existing connection type, consumers may also experience speed constraints due to their in-home equipment. For instance, older home routers may not be able to support access to 100 Mbps download speeds or higher.
“We expect retail service providers to help their customers so that their home router does not prevent them from accessing the full speeds of their selected plan,” Brakey said.
This report is also the first to include individual retail service provider (RSP) results for NBN very high-speed services (also known as NBN ‘Home Ultrafast’ or the 1000/50 Mbps plan).
The report compares data for very high-speed services from four RSPs with the average busy hour download speed per RSP ranging from 812.7 to 882.1 Mbps. The variation in RSP results is unlikely to reflect a significant difference in consumer experience.
Data for Measuring Broadband Australia is provided by UK-based firm SamKnows using methodology based on speed testing programs delivered in the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand.
The ACCC welcomes the inclusion of additional RSPs and emerging broadband technologies to reflect the increasing broadband offerings in the market.
NBN fixed-line services may exceed their maximum plan download speed due to overprovisioning. This is where NBN Co provides a higher data rate than the plan download speed to accommodate for the portion of a connection’s data rate lost in retrieving information that enables a download to occur. NBN Co does not currently overprovision the uplink for NBN fixed-line connections.
Starlink operates a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites rapidly moving above the Earth’s surface. In comparison, NBN Sky Muster utilises two geostationary satellites that maintain a fixed position relative to the Earth’s surface, albeit at significantly further distances from the Earth’s surface compared to Starlink’s satellites.
The report measures average download and upload performance for Starlink in Mbps as its standard service is a “best-efforts” service that does not guarantee particular speeds.
NBN Sky Muster offers an entry-tier plan with download and upload speeds of 25/5 Mbps. Higher maximum plan download speeds of 50 and 100 Mbps are available, and NBN Co advises that these services may achieve upload speeds up to 10 Mbps “from time to time in optimal conditions”. The report found that upload speeds of 10 Mbps and higher occurred frequently and adopted this speed as the benchmark for upload performance for services with the two higher plan download speeds. NBN Sky Muster performance is measured as a “percentage of plan speed” in aggregate across the different plans.
Adrianne Saplagio is a Content Producer at Comms Room, where she combines her passion for storytelling with her expertise in multimedia content creation. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for engaging audiences, Adrianne has been instrumental in crafting compelling narratives that resonate across various digital platforms.
