Annex C: Broadband Applications and User Access Speed
Broadband access circuit speed capability is an important factor in the ability of a broadband service to support a user's needs when accessing or using a broadband application such as web-browsing, file download etc.
The following referenced statistical sources provide background information on home based use of current Internet applications.
According to Nielsen//NetRatings,29 the following table summarises global home user Internet related usage statistics over the period May-June 2007.
The table below sets out categories accounting for the most time spent by the UK Internet population during June 2007. Instant messaging, member communities sites and email account for the most time spent by Britons whilst online, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.30
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings, NetView UK, home & work data, including applications, June 2007.
The 30.6 million Britons active online in June 2007 spent a total of 31.8 billion minutes surfing the web and using internet-related applications - an average of 17 hours 21 minutes per active Briton online. The ten most engaging categories account for 42% of all time spent by Britons surfing the web and using Internet-related applications.
According to a survey reported on BBC News on 8 August 2006 on Internet activity, patterns of behaviour online are beginning to emerge among Britain's 10 million broadband users who spend an average of 23.5 hours online each week, equivalent to 50 days of the year.
The EIAA Mediascope Europe Study 2006 reported the following website visits by online users.
Figure 1: Top Website Genres
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Figure 2: Top Website Genres (cont)
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The EIAA Mediascope 2006 Europe survey found that the top web activities performed by online Europeans are web searches, instant messaging, music downloads and listening to the radio. [Source: EIAA, November 2006]
| Select Technologies used by US Heavy Internet Users |
| Instant Messenger |
68% |
| Price comparison websites |
40% |
| Social Networking sites |
28% |
| Peer-to-peer file sharing |
21% |
| Podcasting |
13% |
| RSS feeds |
14% |
| VoIP |
12% |
| IPTV |
7% |
[Source: eMarketer/Universal McCann/InsightExpress, August 2006]
The average US broadband home user spent an hour and 40 minutes of a typical weekday online. Over half of that time online was devoted to entertainment and communication.
[Source: Media Screen via eMarketer, May 2007]
In general, a broadband speed capability of 1 Mbps or above should support a reasonable quality user experience for most of the Internet application uses identified. Video intensive uses would clearly benefit from greater speed capability. Where sizeable file uploads or downloads are involved, such as software and pictures, the user experience would be improved with higher access circuit speed capability. These considerations do not include backhaul capacity issues such as contention ratio etc.
Online leisure travel sales are an important market and are forecast to continue to grow as the table opposite illustrates. An area of particular interest to New Zealand is likely to be online inquiries to New Zealand destinations about travel and accommodation options. Where such destinations are located in rural areas, broadband connectivity is likely to become increasingly important.
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