'Slow and expensive' internet is inhibiting Australia's digital readiness, according to new report

In January we lamented how slow internet speeds were in Australia, with the hope that with NBN service rolling out to more premises each month, things would improve. That wasn’t the case by June this year when we still ranked behind Kenya in average ‘net speeds

That was according to Akamai’s State of the Internet Report. It’s a month later and the World Economic Forum’s Network Readiness Index has corroborated Akamai’s findings.

The Network Readiness Index was created after surveying 139 countries and, according to the report, Australia – which ranked 18 in 2014 and managed to jumped up two places in 2015 – fell back to 18th spot in digital readiness in 2016.

The affordability of fixed broadband and consistently slow connectivity are the reasons cited for Australia’s slip in global rankings, which now sits behind that of our neighbours across the Tasman Sea.

Globally, Singapore took top spot, followed by Finland and Sweden. Denmark, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Japan all ranked within the top 10.

According to the Digital Australia: State of the Nation, The 2017 Edition report released today by professional services group EY Sweeney, “As the world’s 13th largest mixed-market economy, boasting a AAA rating from all three global rating agencies, Australia should be further up the global digital rankings. However, Australia remains caught in the shadow of other advanced nations.”

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.

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