Exetel tops ACCC's average plan speed results for May

Exetel has topped the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) latest report on broadband speeds for May.

Outlined in the national consumer watchdog’s 18th quarterly Measuring Broadband Australia (MBA) report, Exetel was found to have the highest average download and upload speeds for fixed-line services on the National Broadband Network (NBN) out of all the captured retail service providers (RSP).

On average, Exetel provided 103.5 per cent of download speeds at all hours, dropping down only slightly to 102.3 per cent during busy hours.

This dropped slightly again during its busiest hour, which clocked in at 99.7 per cent, yet was still higher than other RSPs.

By comparison, the average download speed overall was 99.3 per cent at 97.6 per cent during busy hours.

According to ACCC commissioner Anna Brakey, download speeds have improved for many consumers over the last two years due to the fact that NBN Co overprovisions the download component of some plans.

The only other RSP to come close to Exetel was the Tasmania-based Launtel, which came in at 102.1 per cent during all hours and 100.1 per cent during busy hours.

Telstra and Optus registered similar speeds, with both internet providers offering 101 per cent during all hours. During busy hours, Telstra’s percentage dropped to 99.7 per cent and Optus came just under at 99.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, Exetel’s average upload speed sat at 88.7 per cent during all hours and 88.5 per cent during busy hours, while the overall average upload speed sat at 85.6 per cent during all hours and 85.3 per cent during busy hours.

Unlike downloads, Brakely said upload speeds are “more substantially below maximum speed plans” as NBN CO doesn’t ooverprovision uploads.

In addition, the ACCC said that implementing overprovisioning for uploads would be an efficient method to increase upload speeds.

“Upload speeds are important to consumers working or studying from home, or using cloud applications such as photo storage,” Brakely added.

On 9 August, NBN Co announced its financial results for FY22, which saw a 10 per cent increase in total revenue to $5.1 billion.

In its results, it recognised increasing demand for higher speed tiers with 76 per cent of customers on retail plans based on wholesale download speed tiers of 50 Mbps and above and 18 per cent of residential customers using plans based on wholesale speed tiers offering download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and above.