Web speed slow as a snail

Australian Internet users are crawling at a slower pace than other developed nations according to a report from the World Bank.

The country may be charging ahead with technological progress but official figures cited in Information and Communications for Development 2006: Global Trends and Policies show that per head of population, Australia's broadband internet speed lags well behind similar first world nations.

With an average speed of just over one megabit per second (mbps), Australia was well behind in comparison to Britain with 13 mbps, France at 8.4 mbps, Germany on 6.85 mbps and Canada at 6.8 mbps.

However Australia wasn't that far behind the US at 3.3 mbps and was on par with Japan at around one mbps.

Australia did however fare better with when compared on an average Internet cost basis. Locally, citizens' Internet access was just under $25 a month in Australia, compared with Japan at $29, Britain on $33. The US with $20.50 and Canada on $17 had the cheapest access rates.

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