An independent broadband comparison Web site said that broadband speeds in Australia were 20 percent faster over the past eight months. Internet speeds in the country now come to about 4.2 Megabits per second (Mbps) downstream; the figures show an increase of 0.7 Mbps. From July 2009 to December 2009, Internet speeds in the country averaged about 3.5 Mbps.

The research, which was conducted by Broadband Expert, involved about 10,000 tests performed fro April to September this year.

According to the research, Australia still lags behind other countries in terms of Internet speeds in spite of the increase. The UK average speeds of about 5.93 Mbps while the US averaged about 5.75 Mbps.

The research also showed that Optus offered the fastest average Internet speed in the country with 7.19Mbps. Telstra, with its Bigpond modem, averaged 5.17 Mbps.

In a statement, Rob Webber, Broadband Expert's commercial director, touted the increase but noted the large difference between Internet speeds in rural and metropolitan areas.

"A 20 per cent increase in average speed in such a short period of time is an impressive result... However, it's important to remember that regional Australia is still being left behind," Webber said.

The findings showed that metropolitan areas in the country experience an average speed of 5.28Mbps. Rural areas, on the other hand, average about 4.29Mbps.