Australians are set to have their most connected holiday season ever, with internet usage expected to surge by 30 per cent this December compared with the same time last year, according to a new research report released by nbn.
 

The nbn™ Season of Connectivity Report reveals increased access to fast broadband in Aussie households is allowing people to operate the latest smart home gadgets, connect with loved ones and enhance festive traditions like never before.
 

Key findings from the research include:

• Giving the gift of presence: Spending time with family and friends topped the list as the most important part of the festive season with the majority of Australians (84 per cent) ranking it their key priority over the holiday period. One third of Aussies (33 per cent) indicated they would use video calling or video chat applications to connect with loved ones who can’t attend festive celebrations with more than half (54 per cent) planning to share holiday messages, video and images on social media.
• Internet helping to reduce holiday stress: Almost half of Australians (45 per cent) will use the internet to find ways to help them reduce stress over the holiday period. Millennials are forging the way for a connected holiday season and are three times more likely to use the internet to help them plan the perfect festive gathering than their grandparents (59 per cent vs 19 per cent Baby Boomers).
• Perfecting the festive feast online: Traditional Aussie prawns, ham and pavlova won’t cut it this year, with almost half of those surveyed (44 per cent) planning to use the internet to stream video tutorials to help them prepare new recipes and holiday meals.  Australians are also planning to skip the queue at shopping centres by buying their holiday groceries online (31 per cent).
• Stockings full of connectivity:  One in five Australians (20 per cent) are expected to buy a gadget or internet connected device for a family member or loved one this year. Experts predict gaming consoles, Virtual Reality headsets and drones to be among the top tech gifts in 2016.
   

Digital Technology Futurist, Chris Riddell said:

“Increasing access to fast broadband via the nbn™ network and new technologies are redefining how we plan, entertain and gift during the festive season.   
 

“In the past, being connected during the holiday season meant physically having to travel to be together. Technology has broken down the limitations of time and distance by allowing us to connect with friends and family from the comfort of our own home, allowing us to avoid missing out on precious memories.
 

“Time-poor Aussies are also turning to tech to help them discover new ways of preparing for the festive season by streaming video tutorials and avoid the mad shopping rush by buying their holiday groceries online.”
 

Visit the nbn™ ‘Season of Connectivity’ blog series to read the report and learn more about how access to fast broadband is transforming the way Australians celebrate the festive season.
 

There are more than 3.4 million homes and businesses around the country which can already connect to the nbn™ network with the rollout scheduled to be complete by 2020. 
 

Media enquiries

Gina Murphy	nbn™ Media Hotline
Mobile: 0438 416 209	Phone: 02 9927 4200
Email: ginamurphy@nbnco.com.au	Email: media@nbnco.com.au

Media resources

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Click here for the nbn Season of Connectivity Report

Click here for the nbn Season of Connectivity Infographic

Notes to editors

References:

• The nbn™ Season of Connectivity Report was conducted by Pure Profile in November 2016 and surveyed over 1,000 Australians aged 18 and over.
• The average total data usage (upload and download) per end-user on services over the nbn network in December 2015 was 128GB per month and will rise to 165GB per month by December 2016.

 

About nbn:

• nbn is building a new and upgraded, fast wholesale broadband network to enable communities across Australia to access fast broadband from their retail service provider. Our goal is to connect eight million homes and businesses by 2020.
• Fast broadband like that delivered via the nbn™ network can provide a range of benefits for Australians such as opportunities to work from home, access to online education tools and options for on-demand entertainment.
• End-user experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network, depends on the technology over which services are delivered to your premises and some factors outside our control like equipment quality, software, broadband plans, signal reception and how the end-user’s service provider designs its network. 

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