Ameliorating Digital Inequalities in Remote Australia

While most of the Australian population now has access to high-speed broadband internet and is making increasing use of the opportunities it creates for education, remote work, telehealth, and social networks, people who live in remote parts of the country often find themselves digitally excluded. The reasons for exclusion are in part related to the lack of digital infrastructures in some locations. However, issues of affordability, digital literacies, and systemic priorities, which favor white, financially and educationally well-off people, create inequalities that serve to discriminate against First Nations people living in remote communities. In an attempt to ameliorate these digital inequalities, First Nations Media Australia (FNMA), a peak body that advocates for the digital needs of people in remote communities, has since 2016 developed a program called inDigiMOB, which aims to improve digital inclusion. Funded by the Australian telecommunications organization, Telstra, the program partners with media-related and other organizations in communities to build digital literacies, support improved access, advocate for infrastructure improvements, and build on local community aspirations. This chapter, based on evaluations and research commissioned by FNMA explores the issues associated with remote digital exclusion and how inDigiMOB has worked to address the concerns. It concludes by offering potential solutions to a problem that resonates with remote and isolated indigenous communities around the world.