Many factors are responsible for the level of internet access in a country or region. In this series of blog posts, SpudnikLab examines the reasons underlying the digital divide, or the gap between those who have access to the internet and those who have limited or no digital connectivity. We’ve waded through the statistics from the reports on DataReportal and crunched the numbers for you, two countries at a time.
In this post, we zoom in on Australia and India, and examine how their populations experience digital connectivity. One factor that facilitates internet access is having a reliable internet infrastructure, which boils down to the physical systems that provide an internet connection, such as network cables and cell towers.
Sound internet infrastructure is the key to reliable internet connections and internet speed
When more buildings are constructed to facilitate the internet connection throughout a country, the online experience becomes faster, seamless and secure for many people. This is because the internet connection gets better when you are nearer an online server or router. With more buildings around for people to connect to, they are never far from speedy access to the internet.
Especially for those using devices that are convenient for travelling, such as mobile phones and laptops, a good internet infrastructure helps them stay connected when they’re out and about. This is because mobile devices are constantly searching for the nearest internet connection point as they travel. If there are none within range, the internet connection is lost. These situations lead to long loading times for online content, or even pages which never load due to a nonexistent internet connection. In other words, a poor internet infrastructure means a lack of ability to access the internet and use digital services.
Australia’s solid internet infrastructure extends to the outback
In 2024, almost 95 percent of the 26.57 million people living in Australia enjoyed internet access. The number of mobile internet connections detected in Australia far exceeded the number of people living in the country. The 33.59 million mobile internet connections detected from Australia made up 126.4 percent of the country’s total population. This shows that most Australians who have internet access may own more than one mobile device capable of connecting to the internet.
Australia’s median mobile internet connection speed hovers at 93.91 megabits per second. Bits are units of data, and a megabit represents a million of them. The higher the number of megabits per second indicated, the faster the internet will work for you. According to Ookla’s speed test, Australia’s median mobile internet speed is just fine for streaming video games, online shows and movies in high resolution without stutters or pause.
Ookla’s data also reveals that the median mobile internet connection speed in Australia increased by 7.90 megabits per second, a 9.2 percent increase from 2023 to the start of 2024. This increase in network speed seems likely to grow, as Australia’s government has pledged $3 billion to upgrade the National Broadband Network this year.
India leaps forward to high speed internet with 5G infrastructure
According to an analysis by DataReportal, India is home to the world’s second largest internet user base, yet also home to the world’s largest offline population.
Of the 1.4 billion people living in India in 2024, only 52.4 percent of the population were internet users, equating to 751.5 million people. There were 1.12 billion cellular mobile connections active in the country in the same year, which translates to about 78 percent of the local population.
India has an internet infrastructure that supports the volume of online devices used in the country. India’s median mobile internet connection speed matches Australia’s, at 94.62 megabits per second. This means that residents in India with internet access can easily stream high resolution media on the go too.
According to Ookla, the median mobile internet connection speed in India increased by 76.36 megabits per second from 2023 to the start of 2024, equivalent to a whopping 418 percent speed increase. So India’s mobile internet connection is now about four times faster than it was in previous years. This could be attributed to India’s adoption of the 5G network, which began in 2022.
In India, smart feature phones (old school keypad phones) and wallet-friendly smartphones boost internet access
Despite India’s relatively low levels of internet adoption, the Kepios analysis indicates that internet users within the country increased by 2.6 percent from 2023 to 2024. That comes up to 19 million newcomers to the internet!
Significantly, 96.6 percent of internet users in India access the internet with a mobile phone as of 2024, rather than any other device. India has also seen increases in smartphone and smart feature phone adoption. On the flip side, the usage of tablets and laptops are on the decline. One likely reason for this could be that smartphones and smart feature phones are more pocket-friendly and widely available than other mobile internet devices in India.
Australia and India are on par when it comes to fast internet connection speeds, while India’s proportion of the digitally connected is about half of Australia’s
While just a shade over half of India’s population enjoys an internet connection, at 52.4 percent, compared to almost 95 percent of Australia’s population having access to the internet, both India and Australia are on equal footing when it comes to their median internet connection speed. The higher the number of megabits per second for the internet connection speed, the faster the internet connection will be. Australia’s median mobile internet connection speed is zippy, at 93.91 megabits per second, and India’s median mobile internet connection speed is a breath faster, at 94.62 megabits per second.
In sum, residents of these two countries can benefit from the joys of digital connectivity, including the bliss of streaming video games, movies and other content at lightning fast speeds, without annoying lags and hiccups, thanks to a cohesive internet infrastructure. As well as being digitally entertained, they can access the slew of quality of life-improving benefits that come with being digitally connected, such as digital healthcare services and education through online channels and resources.
CREDIT: Feature image design by Melissa De Silva for SpudnikLab. Australia and India map images by Waeruslan Waedaraseh for iStockphotos. Other images by Adobe Express
