TrueNet - an independent broadband tester contracted to the Commerce Commission - has released its first comparison of upload speeds.
It's finding: "100Mbit/s fibre is definitely the way to go if you need fast upload speeds," says TrueNet principal John Butt.
ADSL (the copper broadband technology used by most households and businesses) is usually restricted to a sub-1Mbit/s upload speed.
VDSL (the fastest copper broadband technology) can achieve upload speeds of 10Mit/s or faster - putting it on a par with entry-level fibre plans. It's a boon if you want to upload photos or videos, connect to your office via a VPN, or perform full-blooded, two-way cloud computiing.
The downside: unlike fibre, copper bandwidth degrades rapidly with distance. You need to live close the nearest phone exchange or cabinet to get the full VDSL effect (your ISP can tell you if you're close enough).
TrueNet also measured the hybrid fibre-coaxial service offered by Vodafone in parts of Wellington and Chistchurch on the network inherited from TelstraClear. It found Vodafone cable plans upload speeds better than advertised, but "little faster than ADSL" on the cheaper plan, and on a par with VDSL on the more expensive plan.
See TrueNet's full report here.
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NBR Staff
Mon, 13 Jan 2014
Mon, 13 Jan 2014
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Upload speed: fibre spanks VDSL
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