Almost half of all working Australians spend more hours doing business outside the office than they were five years ago, a Telstra survey has found.
Researchers surveyed more than 2000 working Australians and found a quarter spend five or more hours a week working outside the workplace.
Almost 15 per cent are spending 10 or more hours a week, or the equivalent of 13 full working weeks a year, doing business outside the office.
Telstra spokeswoman Rebekah O'Flaherty said broadband speeds played a large part in allowing people to work away from the office.
"Our research shows almost half of all working Australians are spending more time doing business outside the workplace than they were five years ago and they're attributing that to better technology and increased flexibility of employers," Ms O'Flaherty said.
She said the survey found men spent more time out of the office than women.
It also found the baby boomer generation spent the most time working in non-traditional workplaces - either from home, outside or in a mobile office.
"Our research found the increase in mobile working has actually allowed people to spend more time with their family and friends," Ms O'Flaherty said.
Almost 80 per cent of Australian employees surveyed said they would work outside the workplace if allowed by their employer along with a fast, reliable mobile broadband network.
The results were released alongside Telstra's launch of a faster mobile broadband device, the Telstra BigPond Ultimate USB.
Telstra says the device is twice as fast as its current fastest Next G modem and offers coverage in Australian capital cities, airports, selected metropolitan hubs and more than 100 regional centres.
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