Closing the Digital Divide

Australia has the Great Dividing Range, our most substantial mountain range that mostly parallels the coasts of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria and stretches more than 3700 kilometres. But there may be a greater divide -- the huge digital chasm between rural and urban areas across Australia.

closing thedigital divide

The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2017 (ADII) Report was established through the collaborative efforts of RMIT University, Roy Morgan Research, Swinburne University of Technology, Telstra and Centre for Social Impact. It notes that there are digitally disadvantaged communities within rural and remote regions compared to urban areas. This report outlines that the national average digital inclusion reading sits at 56.5, rural areas have scored 50.7 while urban areas hold a score of 58.6 which is a 7.9 difference in terms of connectivity and accessibility to digital devices and services. With this in mind, the introduction of the NBN (National Broadband Network) to Australian communities is a call to action to provide more sustainable services to people who reside in rural areas and allow for more consistent connectivity.

The official NBN website highlights that the objective behind the establishment of the NBN Sky Muster (satellite service) is to extend the broadband boundaries to the bush. The goal is to balance out the distribution of digital access across the nation and minimise the gap that divides rural and urban areas on the Australian Digital Inclusion Index. This satellite service empowers people in rural, remote and regional communities by enhancing communication services for social, medical and economic factors. Additionally, it introduces a reliable consistency of internet to isolated areas and implements improved education capabilities for the children who don’t have immediate access to a school or academic resources.

Kylie Lindsay, (in her role as Senior Corporate Affairs Manager) published a blog on the NBN website in early September of 2016. She recorded how the School of the Air services have benefited school-aged children in remote locations since 1960. Radios were once used by students to communicate with a tutor up until the 1990s when phones started to replace radios, audio interaction still being the main means of gaining academic content. Ms Lindsay states that Sky Muster and School of the Air can work effectively together to bring higher quality learning opportunities to students who do not live in the hustle and bustle of urban areas or attend boarding school, adding that lessons now have the ability to shift from over the phone to over the internet. This opens up a whole world of possibilities for students who were once academically restricted. It is important to recognise, however, that every family’s situation is different and while Sky Muster may work wonders for some, it doesn’t work so effectively for others.

A highly influential group was formed on Facebook in late 2014, which goes by the name of Better Internet for Rural, Regional & Remote Australia (BIRRR). Rockhampton Grammar School parent Kristy Sparrow and Kylie Stretton created BIRRR, inspired by increased abnormalities that existed within their mobile broadband data usage. Kristen Coggan, Amanda Salisbury and Julie Stott are also members of the BIRRR administrative team, who lobby to improve broadband services, customer service and data allowances for all who live beyond city limits. Each administrator has a special area of interest and expertise within BIRRR’s lobbying and advisory roles, as they seek to ensure people in rural, regional and remote Australia can access affordable and reliable digital connections. It is noted on the BIRRR website that both Kristy and Kylie endured serious internet issues which made education for their children and running businesses increasingly difficult. So their call to action was forming a group that would support and assist people experiencing similar limitations. The group has now grown to over 10,000 members and the team assist people from all over Australia. As a result of BIRRR lobbying and support work via their Facebook page, members from the NBN team, a range of service providers and groups within government now work with BIRRR to help close the gap of the digital divide, and ensure better and more reliable broadband is available to a wider population of people in the bush. The volunteer work of BIRRR has been significant in strengthening rural connections, ensuring academic opportunities still reach students in isolated areas and offering business people in the bush the broadband options and data allowances required to suit their business needs. BIRRR’s influence is not only evident in their online support and troubleshooting, but also in their contribution to government and policy decision-making via lobbying and official submissions, working to close the digital divide between urban and rural areas illustrated in the Australian Digital Inclusion Index. Telecommunications can be a minefield of providers, plans, equipment and contracts, the BIRRR team help people navigate through the terminology and red tape to find a connection that best meets their needs.

BIRRR can be contacted via email at birrraus@gmail.com, or for more information and stories they can be found on Facebook and Twitter, the links are available on their website https://birrraus.com