[LINK] A non-sensationalist look at Australian internet speeds

[Karl Auer]

On Mon, 2016-03-28 at 23:36 +1100, Paul Brooks wrote:
> Except that's not what the ABS stats measure or show  at all. 
> The ABS measures data volume transferred not link capacity or 
> bandwidth - these two aspects are only loosely related with each 
> other. Data volume can increase by many times without link bandwidth
> changing at all.

I'm not sure what you are getting at.

As long as the volumes being transferred do not exceed the available
bandwidth, you are right. But as soon as the aggregate volume being
transferred approaches or exceeds the available bandwidth, the data
volume is effectively capped. Available bandwidth puts an upper bound
on data volumes. The relationship is only "loose" as long as the data
volume is not soaking up all the available bandwidth.

So if we say (simplistic example here) that the average link is 10Mb/s
and the average data volume is 2Mb/s, we don't (on average) have a
problem. Our data volume can double twice before we have a problem.

But it CAN'T double again, because the capacity is not there to let it.
We will be constrained by the available bandwidth.

Talking about averages is also tricky. There are plenty of people who
are already being constrained by their available bandwidth, and saying
that "on average" we are all doing fine really doesn't help them. The
same is true for those with data quotas, who are suffering an artificia
l constraint on their data volumes. These people are presumably not
reflected in the stats because their data volumes are being capped at
less that what they actually need.

Regards, K.

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Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)
http://www.biplane.com.au/kauer
http://twitter.com/kauer389

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