There’s unlikely to be many Australian SL users who don’t have to deal with the frustrations of lag. The physical location of the servers in the United States are a key issue, but the speed of broadband internet in Australia is also a contributing factor.
To throw the issue into very stark relief, the OECD has relesased a 310-page report entitled “OECD Communications Outlook 2007”. It’s not a report for the light-hearted but it provides some fascinating comparisons of broadband access, speed and price.
1. Dial-up versus broadband:
Australia is well below OECD average of broadband take up. One would think speed and pricing would play a role as well as geography.
2. Broadband speed by incumbent telecommunications operator:
Australia is second lowest in speed across the whole OECD. Do not the disclaimer however that there was a speed bump late last year but we remain well down the list. With a bit of luck your connection may match that of a New Zealander.
3. Cost of bandwidth:
No surprise here – broadband in Australia isn’t cheap. GigaOM have covered the report and cite how expensive broadband is in the United States. They should be thankful they’re not Australian based.
Linden Labs have publicly committed to Australian-based servers, but it looks like we’ll be accessing those servers via comparatively low-bandwidth, expensive connections. A number of promises have been made by the Government and Opposition in the lead up to this year’s election but that’s all they are until well after polling day. We’re running a poll on the SLOz forums on your Second Life experience from a broadband point of view, so jump in and have your say.
Yep, I just moved back to Australia after a few years in Hong Kong. I have yet to pick a plan for Australia, but the prices seem much more expensive in Oz. A 12 month plan in Hong Kong with good speeds and unlimited downloads was $HK200 per month which comes to about $A30 per month. There was nothing known as shaping or metered usage either.
In fact, I’d welcome any tips as to the best plan for someone living in Melbourne using Second Life on a daily basis.
Yep, I just moved back to Australia after a few years in Hong Kong. I have yet to pick a plan for Australia, but the prices seem much more expensive in Oz. A 12 month plan in Hong Kong with good speeds and unlimited downloads was $HK200 per month which comes to about $A30 per month. There was nothing known as shaping or metered usage either.
In fact, I’d welcome any tips as to the best plan for someone living in Melbourne using Second Life on a daily basis.
I know several American friends who get a combination package deal including internet, phone and cable tv [500 channels]. there’s a flat rate and it’s “all you can eat” meaning you never pay an excess fee or get “shaped”. :/
Plus the speed they get leaves us for dead.
I’m pretty frustrated with our speeds and prices, I’ve read a lot of excuses but frankly I think it’s just a cop out.
The question is, will we ever have that sort of speed here when our local ISPs are milking us for the little we get now?
Wolfie!
I know several American friends who get a combination package deal including internet, phone and cable tv [500 channels]. there’s a flat rate and it’s “all you can eat” meaning you never pay an excess fee or get “shaped”. :/
Plus the speed they get leaves us for dead.
I’m pretty frustrated with our speeds and prices, I’ve read a lot of excuses but frankly I think it’s just a cop out.
The question is, will we ever have that sort of speed here when our local ISPs are milking us for the little we get now?
Wolfie!
Not bad i am using Second Life with 1M ADSL broadband(download speed about 180K) in China Mainland, it costs me about $20 per month.
Not bad i am using Second Life with 1M ADSL broadband(download speed about 180K) in China Mainland, it costs me about $20 per month.