Australian Broadband Data Demand: data demand on the nbn™ network eases as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift

• Australian Broadband Data Demand report highlights on the main nbn wholesale service:
  • Weekly download throughput peak of 13.2 Terabits per second (Tbps) recorded on Thursday, 11 June during the Evening Busy Hours
  • Weekly upload throughput peak of 0.93 Tbps recorded on Thursday, 11 June during the Evening Busy Hours

Data demand on the nbn’s main wholesale access service continues to peak above pre-COVID-19 levels as more Australians continue to rely on the network for their work, entertainment and education needs.

Figures have been released for the week from Monday, 8 June to Sunday, 14 June, as part of Australian Broadband Data Demand, a weekly report into the peak throughput recorded in a week during daytime business hours, early evening hours and busy evening hours.

The figures show peak download throughput (the measure of data flowing through the nbn™ network) during the busy evening period increased by 20 per cent to 13.2 terabits per second (Tbps) on the main nbn wholesale service, compared to the last week of February (which nbn measures as its normal pre-COVID-19 baseline).

Peak download throughput during the week beginning Monday, 8 June also increased compared to the pre-COVID-19 baseline during daytime business hours, up 15 per cent to 8.9Tbps, and during early evening hours, up 23 per cent to 12.1Tbps, on the main nbn™ wholesale service.

The uptick in downstream data demand for the week beginning 8 June coincided with the release of a software update for a popular online multi-player game. Meanwhile, new customers continue to connect to nbn™. Nearly 500,000 new customers have signed up to the nbn™ network since the beginning of March, utilising the nbn™ network for their work, education or entertainment needs.

Brad Whitcomb, Chief Customer Officer – Residential at NBN Co said that new customers should check their home nbn™ set up to ensure they’re getting the most from the nbn network.

“The way that many Australians use their home internet has changed significantly over the past several months, and the nbn access network has performed well during this period of change. What some people might not realise, however, is that their home internet arrangement can have a real impact on their online experience.

“Ensuring your Wi-Fi modem is out in the open and not blocked by thick walls or furniture, investing in an extender to boost the Wi-Fi signal in the far reaches of your home, and checking whether you’re on the right retail plan for your needs can help optimise your internet experience while we continue to work, learn and seek entertainment at home,” Mr Whitcomb said.

Downstream network usage

Peak upload throughput on the main nbn™ wholesale service in the evening busy hours for the week beginning 8 June increased by 20 per cent to 0.93Tbps, compared to the pre-COVID-19 baseline. In the early evening hours, peak upload throughput increased 28 per cent to 0.87Tbps, and peak throughput during daytime business hours increased by 53 per cent to 0.76Tbps, compared to the pre-COVID-19 baseline.

Upstream network usage

Compared to the pre-COVID-19 baseline before social distancing measures were implemented, downstream network usage on the nbn™ main wholesale service during business hours on 12 June 2020 was 47 per cent higher (as shown in the graph below at 11am) than the pre-COVID-19 baseline.

Downstream network usage over 24 hours

Upstream network usage on the nbn main wholesale service during business hours on 12 June 2020 was 69 per cent higher (as shown in the graph below at 11am) than the pre-COVID-19 baseline.

Upstream network usage over 24 hours

The Australian Broadband Data Demand report is updated weekly on nbn’s Transparency dashboard at: www.nbn.com.au/updates

For tips on how to make the most of your nbn connection and to learn more on what NBN Co is doing to support Australia through COVID-19, please visit: www.nbnco.com.au/campaigns/covid-19

Notes to editor:

- These metrics represent the upstream/downstream throughput peak each week, across the following three distinct periods:

o    Business hours - Monday to Friday 8am to 4:59pm

o    Early evening hours - Monday to Sunday 5pm to 7:59pm

o    Evening busy hours - Monday to Sunday 8pm to 11:59pm

- For Business Hours, the peak is determined by taking the highest downstream throughput for our TC-4 service from the busiest 15-minute increment for downstream throughput, and from the busiest 30-minute increment for upstream, between Monday to Friday. The Early Evening Hours and Busy Evening Hours figures are recorded using the same methodology, but over a seven day period.

- TC-4 is nbn’s standard wholesale broadband service that is designed primarily for general internet and standard data services across all access technologies.

- NBN Co considers the throughput peak metric for our TC-4 service as the most appropriate measure for growth in data flowing through the network as it shows when network use is at its highest in each defined period in a week for our wholesale access service most used for residential broadband services.

- This graph shows TC-4 usage (measured in terabits per second for both upstream and downstream) over a 24 hour period (using Australian Eastern Standard/Daylight time on the dates shown in the key). It compares the results from those two dates against a corresponding 24 hour period from nbn’s pre-COVID-19 baseline on 28 February 2020 (the last week of February). Each marker on the x axis represents an hour period in the day. The y axis shows, for each of the 60 minute periods in that 24 hour period:

o    The downstream throughput measure calculated by recording the highest downstream throughput for our TC-4 service from the busiest 15 minute increment in that 60 minute period.

o    The upstream throughput measure calculated by recording the highest upstream throughput for our TC-4 service from the busiest 30 minute increment in that 60 minute period.

- The terabits per second (Tbps) value is rounded to one decimal place. The percentage increase is rounded to the nearest whole number.