A digital inclusion project working with remote Indigenous communities is strengthening local control over how people connect and access online services.
Since 2021, the Mapping the Digital Gap project has examined digital access and communication in remote communities while supporting Telstra, industry and government to address gaps in connectivity.
The project was established as a supplementary initiative to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index through the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society and funded by Telstra.
Research from the project found three in four Indigenous people living in remote and very remote communities are digitally excluded.
This means many face barriers to accessing and using online services needed for everyday social, economic and cultural life.
Alyawarra man and RMIT Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker explained the growing importance of digital access.
"You have to look at the communities that are getting left behind," Professor Ormond-Parker said.
"For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities living very remotely in Australia, access to infrastructure, basic services and communication is often very limited.
"This creates a significant digital divide."
Digital exclusion can involve unreliable or unaffordable internet connections, limited access to appropriate devices and few opportunities to develop digital skills.
These barriers can affect access to telehealth, online education, government services and emergency information.
Mapping the Digital Gap was created to address the limited national data available on communications and media use in remote First Nations communities.
The project is building a detailed picture of digital inclusion in these regions by tracking changes over time and informing investment from government and industry.
Researchers examine how communities access and share information across a range of channels including internet, phones, television, radio and face-to-face communication.
Associate Professor Daniel Featherstone said the research helps communities make informed decisions about connectivity and digital access.
"By mapping all ways people communicate, we're seeing how place-based solutions can best address local context and needs rather than relying on one-size-fits-all models," Associate Professor Featherstone said.
Partnerships with local organisations remain central to the work.
The project collaborates with First Nations organisations in remote communities and employs community-based co-researchers to gather and interpret data.
Indigenous leadership guides each stage of the project, from shaping research questions to determining how findings are used.
The research has also supported advocacy efforts in Far North Queensland.
Former Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council CEO Kylie Hanslow said the reports helped the community push for improved digital services.
"They were one of the main resources we relied on for the increase in the speeds and the requirements for improvements to digital connectivity," Ms Hanslow said.
Professor Ormond-Parker said the work highlights the importance of coordinated efforts between communities, industry and government.
"We've seen it's really important to ensure industry, governments and communities are on board, and that these initiatives are run and led by the communities themselves," Professor Ormond-Parker said.
Five years on, the Mapping the Digital Gap project is reshaping how digital inclusion in remote Australia is understood.
Community-driven evidence from the research is helping remote First Nations communities advocate for improved services and influence national policy.
The next Mapping the Digital Gap report is expected towards the end of 2026.
