Broadband connection overtakes dial-up

Internet Service Providers Survey: September 2007  –  Media Release

The number of broadband subscribers in the six months to September 2007 overtook the number of dial-up subscribers for the first time ever, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Broadband subscribers continued to increase – up 14.4 percent in the six months to September 2007, to reach 829,300. However, this growth rate has slowed from an increase of 28.6 percent in September 2006 and 18.5 percent in March 2007. Subscribers with dial-up connection fell 8.6 percent from March 2007, down to 675,800.

The number of broadband subscribers grew from 9 per 100 inhabitants to 19.6 per 100 inhabitants in the two years ended September 2007, while the number of dial-up subscribers per 100 inhabitants fell from 21.2 to 15.9. Of the additional 10.6 broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants, half switched from dial-up and the remaining half were new subscribers.

There was a 47 percent increase in the number of Internet service providers reporting that the cost of international bandwidth had been a barrier to growth in the past two years.

The Internet Service Provider Survey is a census of all Internet service providers in New Zealand and is conducted every six months.

For media enquiries contact:
Gary Dunnet
Wellington 04 931 4600
Email: info@stats.govt.nz.