By Dennis Amor
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your say
TECHNOLOGY-savvy grey nomads have helped boost the number of mobile
wireless internet connections across the nation.
In fact, there are now more mobile wireless users than DSL connections in
Australia for first time, according to the Australian Bureau of
Statistics.
The news comes as more and more grey nomads hit the road with their
computers and wireless modems so they can keep in touch with family and
friends back home.
Traveller Frank Murphy of South Australia admits he never leaves home
without first stowing his laptop safely on board his Jayco Sterling
caravan.
"I wouldn't be without it," the 71-year-old retired engineer told
Caravanning News.
"It's my link with the people I care about ... and I can do this without
having to spend a fortune. I have a reasonable plan which allows me plenty
of data allowance so I can send family and friends emails, photos and even
video clips of our travels.
"Not only that, but it's my window to what's happening in the world. I
enjoy keeping up with current affairs, and the internet allows me to do
just that."
Frank admitted that sometimes internet connectivity was impossible because
of remote locations but this was rare because he and wife Jeannie
preferred "the more popular holiday destinations".
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that at the end of June, 2011,
mobile wireless broadband, excluding mobile handsets, connections
accounted for 44 percent of all internet connections. DSL came in with
just 41 percent.
Overall, internet subscribers in Australia climbed 4.4 percent to 10.9
million in the six months to June, 2011, up from 10.4 million in December,
2010.
At the end of June 2011, there were 9.7 million mobile handset internet
subscribers in Australia, an increase of 18.1 percent from December, 2010.
The phasing out of dial-up internet connections continued with 95 percent
of internet connections being broadband.
Australians continued to access increasingly faster download speeds, with
87 percent of access connections offering a download speed of 1.5Mbps or
greater.
