The Internet is indeed everywhere, but it’s not as easy to use in some places as it is in others. People in the United States are fortunate because most of the content they consume online, particularly video content, originates in the Australia. For those who live outside the US the cost of downloading videos from the Internet is prohibitive. Such is the case for Internet users in Australia, according to Phil Dobbie.
Earth’s smallest continent is fast approaching the point where literally everyone living on it actively uses the Internet. According to Nielsen in its report The Australian Online Consumer Landscape, 81% of Australians age 16 and older are active Internet users. Of that 81%, 51% own smartphones. Social media are popular in Australia, too. Nielsen reported that 57% of Australians “Liked” brands in 2011 and 47% interacted with brands via social media.
So, Aussies are pretty much on a par with the rest of the world when it comes to Internet usage. Where they tend to lag behind is consuming videos on large screen devices like desktop and laptop computers. The reason for this, says Dobbie, is bandwidth limits set by ISPs and last-mile access speeds, which are expected to be improved with the NBN.
The solution to this problem, Dobbie thinks, is for the government to do whatever’s necessary to make the cost of international bandwidth more affordable.
Video is important not only for entertainment but also for business. And there will certainly be times when a smartphone screen won’t suffice. It’s possible that tablet computers with their larger screens and smartphone-like capabilities are the answer Aussie citizens and business professionals need … at least until the government figures out how to make watching video online affordable for everyone.
