Communications Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the latest Akamai report showing the average download speeds in New Zealand have grown 25 per cent in a year.

The Akamai State of the Internet report shows that in the first quarter of 2016, the average speed had increased to 10.5 Megabits per second (Mbps). Better still the number of people accessing speeds above 15 Mbps has increased 123 per cent in just 12 months. 91 per cent are enjoying speeds above 4 Mbps.

"This is a considerable improvement on the speeds New Zealanders are enjoying every day. To put these speeds into context, in 2008 the average speed was 2.7 Mbps. The latest figures from early 2016 show an almost four-time increase as New Zealanders embrace connectivity fuelled by the Government's Ultra-Fast Broadband and Rural Broadband Initiative programmes," Ms Adams says.

"The latest report is a useful international benchmark that proves New Zealand continues to benefit from the rollout of digital infrastructure. But it's worth noting that Akamai only measures traffic that is downloaded from Akamai's servers, excluding things like Netflix.

"This means the real benefits to New Zealand are much higher. The average speed on Chorus's fixed line network is 28.5 Mbps.

"Rapidly changing technology represents a huge opportunity for a country like New Zealand, with our distance from major export markets. Our UFB and RBI programmes are a vital part of the Government's plan in developing a productive and competitive economy and creating more jobs for New Zealanders and their families."

The latest statistics come as the UFB build passes hallway mark in big urban cities like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and 18 regional towns around New Zealand are now fully complete.