As per the Akamai State of the Internet Report, there are a whopping 50 countries who have faster internet than the boys down under in Australia.
Bulgaria and Kenya, for example, offer connection speeds that on average are 50 percent faster than Australia.
And what’s worse, just across the Tasman Sea, in New Zealand, the Kiwis enjoy internet speeds which are on average 30 faster.
South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Hong Kong, Denmark, Finland, Singapore and Japan are top of the list for fast internet.
But back to Australia. It would now turn out that the local population of cockatoos might have something to do with it.
The intelligent birds which are a member of the parrot family love chewing on the cables apparently.
NBN project manager Mr Chedryian Bresland: “They are constantly sharpening their beaks and as a result will attack and tear apart anything they come across. Unfortunately, they’ve developed a liking to our cables. these birds are unstoppable when in a swarm.”
When asked about this behavior, a professor that normally studies them said she was amazed at this behavior.
Ms Gisela Kaplan, professor of animal behavior at the University of New England: “It would have to be an acquired taste because it’s not their usual style. Cockatoos usually go for wood or strip the bark off trees, They don’t usually go for cables. But it might be the color or the position of the cables that’s attracted them.”
According to estimates, the nonstop beak-sharpening activities costs some $80,000 per year.
When engineers embarked on a telecommunications infrastructure overhaul they found that existing power wires and fiber cables on eight different transmission towers have been gnawed to shreds by the birds.
The cockatoos are found in great numbers near major cities such as Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne where they’re known for destroying decking, window frames and outdoor furniture for beak-sharpening.
Source:
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/politics/blogs/cockatoos-wreak-havoc-australias-broadband-network
