Beyond public access? Reconsidering broadband for remote Indigenous communities

Australia's Commonwealth Government communications funding programs are promoting the extension of internet services to remote Indigenous communities via shared community facilities. Meanwhile, mainstream delivery programs have largely moved on to focus on individual users. Indigenous Australians are far less likely to access the internet within the home than non-Indigenous Australians, suggesting that Australia's 'digital divide' is not simply a matter of access, but the context within which access occurs. The Commonwealth's National Broadband Strategy aims to place broadband communications at the centre of a new digital economy. As the benefits of fast Internet become more tangible, the stakes for those who do not have affordable access also increase. In this paper we set out a case for reconsidering the notions of public and private in terms of internet infrastructure, access and use. Employing policy analysis, available home internet data and a survey of community-based ICT projects, this paper investigates the relationship of broadband policy and other infrastructures, including the politics of housing and 'township', as well as economic and social factors.