NZ broadband speeds surge as Govt looks towards digital economy

New Zealand’s average connection speeds have increased by almost 60 per cent in the past year, according to latest international figures on broadband speeds.

The Akamai State of the Internet report found that New Zealand’s average peak connection speed rose to 34.3 Mbps in the December 2014 quarter, representing a 59 per cent annual improvement – the highest increase in the Asia Pacific region.

The report also found that the average broadband connection speed rose to 7.3 Mbps (from 7.0 Mbps in the previous quarter) – representing a 39 per cent year on year increase.

“These trends are extremely encouraging and point to the Government’s rollout of Ultra-Fast Broadband as helping lift the availability and adoption of high-speed connectivity across New Zealand,” says Communications Minister Amy Adams.

“Better connectivity is fundamentally important if more New Zealanders are going to participate in the digital economy.

“Connectivity is vital to homes, schools and businesses around New Zealand and it’s critical that we not only increase the spread of connectivity but the speeds in which people can access and share information online."