Regional Internet Access Survey Results, 2016 The BIRRR Regional Access Survey results – a tool to assist in lobbying for Better Internet for Rural, Regional, and Remote Australia BIRRR #datadrought #fixbushinternet Produced by Rachel Hay for Better Internet for Rural, www.birrraus.com Regional and Remote Australia (BIRRR) www.facebook.com/groups/BIRRR/ 2 May 2016 2 This report is published under a Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/) Publisher James Cook University Townsville, Australia ISBN XXX-X-XXXXXXX-X-X 3 Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 7 About BIRRR (Better Internet for Rural Regional and Remote Australia) ......................................... 8 About the Survey ............................................................................................................................... 9 About the sample .............................................................................................................................. 9 About the dataset .............................................................................................................................. 9 Results ............................................................................................................................................ 10 SECTION 1 .................................................................................................................................. 14 Mobile Broadband .................................................................................................................... 14 Summary of mobile broadband data results ....................................................................... 24 SECTION 2 .................................................................................................................................. 25 Satellite ................................................................................................................................... 25 Summary of satellite data ........................................................................................................ 34 SECTION 3 .................................................................................................................................. 35 Mobile Phone Service .............................................................................................................. 35 Summary of mobile phone service results ............................................................................... 36 SECTION 4 .................................................................................................................................. 37 NBN Service ............................................................................................................................ 37 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 50 4 Table of Tables Table 1: Anecdotal comments from respondents about education ................................................. 12 Table 2: Anecdotal comments from respondents about doing the survey at home......................... 13 Table 3: Means analysis of provider ratings for mobile broadband service and internet ................. 16 Table 4: Respondent ratings of Broadband Providers .................................................................... 17 Table 5: Anecdotal comments from respondents about their supply of internet.............................. 17 Table 6: Estimated cost of extra equipment needed to access mobile broadband ......................... 19 Table 7: Cost of mobile broadband data and data allowance per month ........................................ 19 Table 8: Respondents who are shaped or who need to purchase more data when their mobile broadband allowance is consumed ................................................................................................. 20 Table 9: Anecdotal comments about respondent having access to emergency contacts ............... 20 Table 10: Cost of extra data per gigabyte of mobile broadband ..................................................... 21 Table 11: Times respondents are shaped or need to purchase more mobile broadband data per year when data allowance is depleted ............................................................................................ 21 Table 12: Anecdotal comments about shaped accounts ................................................................. 21 Table 13: Peak, off peak or usage anytime allocation for mobile broadband .................................. 22 Table 14: Anecdotal comments about peak and off peak data from respondents of the survey ..... 22 Table 15: Anecdotal comment from respondents about the speed of their internet ........................ 23 Table 16: Means analysis of satellite provider ratings for service and internet ............................... 28 Table 17: Respondent ratings for Satellite Providers ...................................................................... 29 Table 18: Respondents who use VOIP via satellite ........................................................................ 30 Table 19: Participant rating of VOIP service given delay and clarity ............................................... 30 Table 20: Cost of satellite data and data allowance per month (N=264) ......................................... 31 Table 21: Respondents who are shaped or who can purchase extra satellite data when their allocation is consumed .................................................................................................................... 31 Table 22: Cost of extra satellite data per gigabyte .......................................................................... 32 Table 23: Times respondents are shaped or need to purchase more satellite data allowance is depleted .......................................................................................................................................... 32 Table 24: Peak and Off Peak or usage anytime satellite allocation ................................................ 32 Table 25: Anecdotal comments from respondents about mobile coverage .................................... 35 Table 26: Anecdotal comments from respondents about the fair use policy ................................... 37 Table 27: Anecdotal comments from respondents about their preference for Fixed Wireless Internet ............................................................................................................................................ 39 Table 28: Anecdotal comments from respondents about their concerns of how speed will be affected .......................................................................................................................................... 40 Table 29: Anecdotal comments from respondents about their concerns of how cost and service will be affected ...................................................................................................................................... 40 Table 30: Anecdotal comments from respondents about their concerns of what options will be available .......................................................................................................................................... 40 Table 31: Anecdotal comments from respondents about better options for NBN ........................... 41 Table 32: Anecdotal comments from respondents supporting the concern over lack of options to connect to NBN ............................................................................................................................... 41 Table 33: Anecdotal comments from respondents about LTSS not suiting everybody’s needs ...... 41 Table 34: Anecdotal comments from respondents about DATA ALLOWANCE .............................. 45 Table 35: Anecdotal comments from respondents about EXTRA EQUIPMENT NEEDED ............. 45 Table 36: Anecdotal comments from respondents about DROP OUTS ......................................... 46 Table 37: Anecdotal comments from respondents about LOCATION ............................................ 46 5 Table 38: Anecdotal comments from participants about MOBILE PHONE SERVICE .................... 46 Table 39: Anecdotal comments from participants about DATA PLANS .......................................... 47 Table 40: Anecdotal comments from respondents about NOT HAVING ENOUGH DATA/SPEED TO COMPLETE A SPEED TEST FOR THE SURVEY ........................................... 47 Table 41: Anecdotal comments from respondents about their THOUGHTS ABOUT INTERNET IN RURAL, REGIONAL AND REMOTE AUSTRALIA .......................................................................... 48 Table 42: Anecdotal comments from respondents about success stories ...................................... 49 Table 43: OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS from respondents to the survey...................................... 49 Table of Figures Figure 1: Map of participant supplied addressees for Mobile Broadband and Satellite internet connection from BIRRR, Regional Access Survey ............................................................................ 7 Figure 2: Primary source of internet connection (BIRRR Survey) ................................................... 10 Figure 3: Students enrolled in distance education or completing online studies ............................. 11 Figure 4: Data required