The rural digital divide

Information and communication technologies are becoming increasingly integral to all aspects of society in developed countries. They bring to many members of society benefits such as new ways of communicating, and more comprehensive sources of information. The digital divide refers to the fact that members of society have differing levels of access to information and communication technologies and to the benefits they provide. In this paper, we will examine the digital divide issue, drawing on a study carried out by the authors for the Australian Capital Territory Government. Groups having lower than average levels of access to information and communication technologies were identified and focus groups were conducted with members of them. Expert interviews were also conducted. While this study was limited to the Canberra area, many of the findings can be generalised to rural areas of Australia. Disadvantaged have typical types of needs, whether they live in metropolitan or in rural areas. The initiatives considered in this paper indicate that various Australian governments are aware of the rural problems and are trying to overcome them, especially with respect to creating the basic infrastructure that enables all to have access.