Australia has a mature internet market, and ranks among the top countries in the world in terms of internet penetration rates. In 2008, 79.4% of Australians used the internet, ahead of all Asia Pacific countries except New Zealand.
The main online activities in Australia are closely related to communication and information needs, while the increasing popularity of internet banking has seen it recently climb into the top three online activities.
Australia's take-up rate for broadband internet access has grown significantly in recent times, mainly as a result of declining entry prices for broadband access since 2003. As at the end of December 2007, the number of broadband subscribers across Australia totalled 4.8 million, a 23% increase on the December 2006 figure, and a 73% increase since December 2005.