When it comes to internet usage, students top the charts. With pressing assignments, online lectures to watch at 2x speed and copious amounts of shows to stream, the modern student has constant internet demands. Fast internet is no longer a luxury, but rather a necessity.
And for Australia, there is not a shortage of students requiring fast internet. With world-leading education institutions, some of the most liveable cities in the world and affordable accommodation, the number of international students is increasing rapidly. And with it, the number of purpose-built student accommodation beds.
Background on the growth of PBSA
Purpose-built student accommodation is experiencing historic growth within Australia. In fact, Savill’s Student Accommodation Market Report (2017) found that there were 71, 645 purpose-built student accommodation beds across Australia’s eight major cities. As an example of PBSA growth, the number of beds in Brisbane grew significantly over the space of one year alone: from 8,930 beds to 10,682 between the years 2016-17.
Undoubtedly, this number will have also increased with a large number of beds arising from universities who are developing their own student accommodation precincts. The increase of PBSA in major Australian cities are shown below:
(Available Purpose Built Student Accommodation Bed Availability per Australian City)
Savill’s Report found that Melbourne had the largest number of PBSA between 2016-17, with 16,294 beds being registered for 2017. Another noticeable increase in the number of beds is evidenced in Perth with a 181% increase in PBSA beds over the year.
So why is it important to have high-speed internet in these new PBSA residences?
Importance of High-Speed Internet for PBSA
As the number of PBSA beds in Australia grows, the high demand of students for internet must be met. Students require faster speeds, unlimited downloads, at the lowest cost possible. The internet is no longer a value-add and ranks as one of the most important, if not the most important utility for students.
We are all aware that students use their internet network largely for entertainment purposes, with video streaming running rampant and YouTube a haven for procrastination.
A study into the habits of students over the duration of a week on their network confirmed a large reliance on video downloads.
The top usage sources are displayed below:
(Typical college student data consumption per week)
As the findings show, YouTube is the number one source of traffic for students, making up 51.3% of the online usage. Netflix also had a prominent showing, with 18.3% of student users trafficking to this source. These statistics draw the conclusion that entertainment throughout the week is an important part of the schedule of a student.
In conjunction with these statistics, VostroNet has also narrowed down the peak usage times during a day. The findings showed that 10:44PM was the peak time for internet usage with the lowest point during the day at 6:24am.
(Data usage pattern across a typical PBSA building)
For students streaming videos at this time and playing high download demanding games, high capacity available at these peak times is crucial to ensuring their entertainment goes uninterrupted. Whether its streaming Netflix, watching YouTube and using a gaming console, slow speeds will be noticed considerably.
VostroNet
VostroNet is a provider of high-speed internet to student accommodation and other multi-dwelling units; offering month-to-month internet plans with unlimited downloads and 100 Mbps up and down plans. VostroNet has a 99% customer satisfaction rating, our 24/7/365 network support team keeping users happy and online.
