By Xavier Smerdon
TRUGANINA has the slowest internet speeds in all of Melbourne, according to a new study.
The study, by Seattle-based internet speed measurement agency Ookla, ranked Truganina as the worst area for internet speeds in Melbourne, with an average internet download speed of 4.4 megabits per second.
This was contrasted by the Eastern suburb of Croydon, the best performer on the list, with an average download speed of 29 mbps.
The best performing Wyndham suburb was Werribee, which came in sixth place overall with an average speed of 17 mbps.
CEO of LeadWest, an organisation that works to support sustainable growth and development in the Western suburbs, Anton Mayer, said the variation in internet speeds could depend on the local infrastructure.
“It varies on infrastructure that’s there and the number of users already there and that affects the speeds that people ultimately get,” Mr Mayer said.
Mr Mayer said councils need to appreciate the internet as a tool for growth and development.
“It’s making sure that the councils in the West all embrace it as being a great piece of supporting infrastructure that can help attract jobs and attract investment into the West,” he said.
“It is as important a piece of infrastructure as a road, or a train service. It’s the communication infrastructure of the future.”
Cliff Hill, who runs Computer Problems, a computer repair store in Hoppers Crossing, said it was the responsibility of housing estate developers to ensure residents can have access to fast internet.
“I would love for land developers to take some responsibility for putting in decent telephony infrastructure, and not just get in to make a quick buck,” he said.
“The city of Wyndham is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country, and as such they need to get some more mobile towers in the area.”
