Gamers break record on the nbn® network
- Gamers dominated the biggest data day in nbn history when they downloaded a Fortnite update and new Call of Duty game on 3 November.
- Gamers drove the top five biggest data download days of 2023.
- Aussies love to stream – streaming was the top use of the nbn® network.
- Data usage has more than tripled in the past seven years and is forecast to continue to grow in 2024.
Gamers have been crowned Australia’s data champions after helping to break a traffic record on the nbn network and drive the top five biggest download days of 2023.
The records were revealed in nbn’s 2023 Top Network Insights1 – which shows how customer demand for data on our network continues to accelerate.
nbn’s biggest network traffic day ever was on 3 November, when gamers smashed the old record by downloading a Fortnite update and new Call of Duty game.
Traffic peaked at 26.76 terabits per second (Tbps), which is the equivalent of more than half a million simultaneous Fortnite downloads at 50 Mbps, or more than 1.1 million simultaneous 4K video streams2 .
The new record beat the previous high of 24.98 Tbps set in June and was almost 19 per cent higher than the average traffic peak on the nbn network in October of 22.5 Tbps – the equivalent of more than 900,000 simultaneous 4K video streams2.
While the top five biggest data days of 2023 were driven by gamers, Aussies’ streaming was the number one use of the nbn network, followed by web browsing, social media and gaming.
Dr Robert Joyce, Head of Customer Strategy and Innovation at nbn, said:
“Around 8.6 million homes and businesses are now connected to our network, and we carry over 80 per cent of Australia’s download traffic. We monitor the network 24/7 for customer trends and to stay ahead of demand.
“Our 2023 Top Network Insights show our customers are using more data than ever. New network usage records were set and broken three times in the last 12 months.
“We’ve built a network that’s kept ahead of data demand and will continue to support Australians as their need for speed and increased data volumes continues to grow.
“With data usage more than tripling in the past seven years, and with average households now having around 21 connected devices, it’s a timely reminder to check your home broadband plan is still meeting what you want from your broadband service.3
“nbn’s new wholesale pricing updates are coming into effect from next month, with five out of six of our most popular plans costing less.
“More fibre and more speed is available to more Australian homes and businesses and, by 2025, more than 10 million premises will be able to connect to nbn’s fastest residential plan and the benefits it brings.
“On our fastest residential plan, downloading a Call of Duty 130GB game update can take just 18 minutes compared to six hours on a 50 Mbps plan.
“We encourage customers to talk with their internet provider about the right plan and price to meet their needs and budget.”
Fast facts
- The average Australian nbn user downloaded around 423GB per month – an increase of more than 50 per cent compared to three years ago. 423GB is the equivalent of downloading episode one of The Simpsons from a streaming platform 2,708 times4.
- Data usage in the regions is continuing to grow – up 6 per cent compared to October last year.
- Residents in the City of Playford in Adelaide used the most data in a month1 – 613GB, which is the equivalent of downloading The Lion King movie 124 times5.
- The busiest times of the year on the nbn network are during the school holidays. The busiest day is usually a Sunday, and the busiest hour to use the nbn network is usually 9pm-10pm.
- In October 2023, there were more than 830,000 terabyte homes and businesses (up 14 per cent on the same period last year), which downloaded at least 1000GB of data a month.
- An extra 57,248 kilometres of fibre was rolled out across the country this year6 as part of nbn’s fibre upgrades currently underway – that’s enough fibre to span from Melbourne to New York and back almost twice.
Important information
1. Refers to internal nbn network data. nbn data from January to October 2023 includes all downstream nbn Fixed Line, nbn Fixed Wireless and nbn Sky Muster Satellite TC4 services and excludes nbn® Enterprise Ethernet. The top location using the most data is based on the highest average data download usage in a Local Government Area in October 2023.
2. Number of 4K video streams is assuming a bitrate of 24Mbps (the layer 2 bitrate requirement for the highest available Netflix codec as of October 2023).
3. An end customer’s experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn network, depends on the nbn access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to their premises, whether they are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside of nbn’s control (like their equipment quality, software, chosen broadband plan, signal reception, or how their provider designs its network). Speeds may be impacted by the number of concurrent users on nbn’s Fixed Wireless network, including during busy periods. Satellite users may experience latency.
4. Based on downloading episode one of The Simpsons at 156.2MB for offline use via a streaming platform.
5. Based on downloading The Lion King (1994) movie at 4.94GB.
6. The amount of fibre deployed from January to November 2023 as part of nbn’s network investment programs.