2015 was a big year for Australian communications, and it seems like Internet use is on the rise. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there were 12.8 million connections by June 2015, a 2% rise on the previous year. It's also getting faster - 99% of users are on broadband connections. Then you have the clear fact that usage itself is changing, with more and more people opting for mobile use and wireless. Plus, people are downloading more. So, what are they doing? And which services can we reasonably predict will see a rise?

"We love Internet" (CC BY 2.0) by  Kalexanderson

TV & Movie Streaming

Gone are the days of the DVD. Sure, they're not obselete, but heaps more people are opting for Netflix and other services these days than ever before. Whether you want to catch up on a series from years gone by or even stay up to date with the latest from the USA, you basically can as these services get savvier with time. You can watch on your laptop, phone and even on your smart TV, making such services an obvious choice; helped in fact by their low price and competitive titles. There is bound to be a rise in such services for 2016!

Online Gaming

There are so many online gaming sites these days that it's difficult to know where to begin. Thankfully, there are some great ones operating from right here in Australia. Pokies are an obvious choice - an arcade style of fun which will take us all back! Don't worry about knowing where to begin; Mega Moolah is the largest pokies jackpot online, so it's an easy decision from there! Of course, you can play around with loads of different things, too, for example online bingo and even betting! This will be even bigger for 2016 as more and more people want to try their luck.

Mobile Shopping

"Firefox OS smartphones" (CC BY 2.0) by  pestoverde

70% of Aussies go online with their mobile phone, and 44% of Australians did their Christmas shopping for 2014 online. Buying goods not only online, but online shopping from a mobile device, is bound to soar in popularity. Websites are increasingly having to ensure that they are optimising themselves for Web, or they risk losing out on serious money! Lots of people aren't even bothering with their laptop connection at all, meaning a shift in mobile business will make a clear and marked rise.