Australians love streaming, mobile phones and IoT devices

Photo by Milenius

Australia’s love affair with streaming continues to thrive with a new report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) showing 71% of Australians with a TV set in the home used at least one paid video streaming service in 2019.

One in 10 Australians had four or more subscription services in the home in 2019, up from just 4% in 2017. Overall 83% of Australian internet users reported viewing either paid or unpaid video content online in the past six months.

In the three months to 30 June 2019, Australians downloaded a total of almost six million terabytes of data, enough to watch around 2.2 billion hours of high-definition video. Of that data, more than 88% was downloaded through fixed internet services.

This data and other insights were published today in the ACMA Communications report 2018–19, which provides a comprehensive profile of Australia’s communications and media sector.

ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the report shows the ongoing importance of Australia’s fixed network.

“Australians are using their fixed internet connections for data-hungry applications such as video streaming and are spending more time watching content online,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

“Online video and use of smart devices is exploding in popularity as high-speed networks are creating markets for new, innovative services across the Australian economy.

“It’s clear that Australians have embraced technology which is helping drive demand for faster internet.”

The report also shows Australians are increasingly reliant on mobile phones to get online with 87% accessing the internet over their phone compared with 69% for laptops.

Ms O’Loughlin said the report also pointed towards rapid growth in the Internet of Things (IoT) with industry research showing the market for IoT enabled devices in Australian homes rose 57% in the 12 months to 2018 to $1.1 billion.

“It’s a remarkable rise which is being driven by high take-up of smart-products like speakers, appliances, air conditioners and security cameras,” she said.

“The average household is predicted to have 18 IoT-connected devices by 2023.”

Half of Australian adults used a smart device other than a computer, tablet or mobile phone to connect to the internet.

  • Australians are using fixed internet connections for data-hungry applications like video streaming. 83% of internet users viewed video content online in the past 6 months.
  • Investment in infrastructure continued, with more than 400 5G-capable base stations installed. 5.5 million homes and businesses connected to the NBN.
  • Over-the-top and digital platforms are challenging revenue models. 71% of Australians with a home TV had one or more subscription or paid streaming service.
  • New high-speed networks are enabling services like the Internet of Things and cloud technology.

The ACMA Communications report 2018–19 is available here.

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