Checkpoint 5 - File size requirements

Explanation

The internet is increasingly used for government information, service delivery and interacting with society. Therefore, Queensland Government websites should provide equal access and equal opportunity to all people regardless of economic and social factors, their physical environment and computer technologies.

Non-HTML documents with the smallest possible file size have the following benefits to the community:

• access to information quickly and easily (less time to download)
• access that is technology independent (e.g. mobile devices)
• access that is cost-effective (some users cannot afford a high-speed internet connection)
• access by users with limited download volume available to them
• reduced bandwidth congestion (faster delivery of information)
• increased customer satisfaction (users achieve their goals effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily)
• a more consistent user experience.

Users unable to download large non-HTML documents are likely to abandon the online channel requiring key information to be delivered through more expensive channels (such as print, face-to-face and over the phone).

Highlights from the Interacting with Government: Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – 2009 study, Section 2.4 Broadband Connection, state that:

• The proportion of people with a broadband connection has increased from 68% in 2008 to 76% in 2009.
• One in ten (10%) use the internet but do not have a broadband connection.
• Although those living in metropolitan and rural/remote areas have the same level of internet use (85%), there are differences in broadband access. Four in five (80%) who live in metropolitan areas have a broadband connection, in contrast to three‑quarters (73%) of rural/remote residents.
• Since the last study, there has been an increase in the proportion of people living in rural or remote areas who do not have a broadband connection because it is not available in their area. In 2009, a third (34%) of those without broadband reported this as the reason for not having it, compared with one in five last year (18%). This compares with one in five (18%) of those from regional areas who do not have a broadband connection because it is not available and six per cent of those who live in a metropolitan area.

Research provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that:

• approximately 10% of Australians with internet access are still using dialup internet connections
• approximately 73% of rural residents do not have broadband and
• only 62% have download speeds of more than 1.5Mbps or greater.

In addition, research conducted by the Office of Economic and Statistical Research (OESR) in May 2009 shows that:

• approximately 6.6% of Queenslanders with internet access are still using dialup internet connections
• around 83% of adult Queenslanders now have access to the internet at home (79.7% in 2008)
• more than half (53.3%) of people over the age of 65 now have access to the internet or email at home (48.5% in 2008) and
• wireless has continued to demonstrate the largest growth of all the broadband technologies and now comprises 23% (12.2% in 2008) of all adult internet connections in the state. 

Download times for dialup and broadband internet connections

The following table shows file download times over dialup and various broadband connection speeds.

Note: Above dialup connection speed is calculated at 40 kbit/s; this is the average dialup speed due to line noise or other processes running on a computer that may also be using an Internet connection (eg. automatic updates).