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May 10, 2004
Australia's Broadband Divide
During the first morning of the Hong Kong Global ICT Summit on E-Content and E-Creativity, the first presentation came from Louise van Rooyen, Executive Director of the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association. The 14th largest economy in the world, Australia also has one of the fastest growing economies, she said. But the country's vast distances are a constant challenge - people who live far from the major population centers are often faced with high telecommunications costs. Approximately one in three Australians live and work away from the big cities.
Australia ranks 6th in the International Telecommunication Union's digital divide index, and also places first in the world in terms of literacy and school enrollment rates, putting the country in a strong position to develop an ICT literate economy and society. From 1995 to 2001, a quarter of Australia's growth came from the ICT sector.
Australia utilizes mobile phones at a high rate - 14 million phones in a population of 20 million people. But payphones still remain the primary communications link for many rural Australians, since they lack mobile coverage and broadband penetration.
Australian civil society aims for subsidized Internet access for people in rural communities, along with equitable deployment of broadband whenever possible. "ICTs have enormous potential for bridging geographic, cultural, political, social and other gaps, and if equitably organized, ICTs can bring people together in a completely individual, private, virtual space," she said.
Currently, 52% of Australian households have Internet access, but there are wide disparities for low-income groups, senior citizens, indigenous groups and people with limited formal education. "The divide is not sharp, but it increases the social and economic disadvantages that already exist," she added.
E-inclusion initiatives should address access, said, but ICT literacy initiatives and increased public awareness are also key. ICTs must be integrated into the social fabric of everyday life, with easy access to technical support for all users.
The Australian government invested USD$250 million networking the country in 1997, followed up by a AU$73 million e-content for learning initiative with New Zealand known as the Le@rning Federation (LF). Now, 290 towns have their own ISPs or other local Internet point of presence, while the LF initiative is helping create socially and locally relevant educational content.
"Broadband connectivity is probably our single biggest challenge in the short term, both in the cities and in rural communities," she said in her closing. A recent study suggests that universal broadband would lead to economic benefits totaling AU$12-$30 billion, making deployment an even higher priority for rural and urban communities alike.
Posted by acarvin at May 10, 2004 9:52 PM
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