Australian data downloads jump by 21% due to Netflix

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week reported a 21% spike in data downloads in the three months since the launch of Netflix in late March.

This is the biggest increase recorded since the ABS began measuring internet activity in 2010. 

In the three months to June 2015, Australian fixed-line broadbank users downloaded 1.35 million terabytes or 1.35 exabyte of data.

It is difficult to get a sense of how much data that measure represents.  The prefix 'era' means one billion billion, or one quintillion. None the wiser? Not surprising really. But certainly it is more than the service providers were expecting and it caused all sorts of early issues for iiNet as Netflix surged to represent 30% of its traffic.

Will Demand Be Sustained ?

It will be interesting to see if this level of interest is sustained over the next quarter however, as the hype surrounding the Netflix launch is replaced with a more measured response to the service which has been disappointing to many who took up free trials. 

Soon after launch it was discovered that Netflix US subscribers have access to 6x as much content as Australia, and in far more immediate timeframes.

Adding insult to injury, in the first weeks after launch, many users reported slow internet speeds particularly during the prime viewing windown between 6pm and 11pm. The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has been monitoring the situation after receiving numerous complaints.

One a positive note, the Netflix arrival has seen carrier providers offering increased data allowances for many consumer broadband subscribers at no addtional charge.