Telecommunications across borders: Refugees' technology use during displacement

This article reports on recent research examining refugees as a particular user group of communication technologies. The term 'refugee' refers to all people who are exposed to refugee-type experiences and may include displaced people, asylum seekers and resettled refugees who have been granted residency in Australia. A review of literature has found that refugees as technology users have had very little attention across different disciplines, although the research has shown that technology is key to sustaining emotional wellbeing and precarious connections with family members when displaced. In particular, the telephone is the most critical technology for refugees in terms availability and familiarity. However, the access and affordability of telecommunications services and other technologies during displacement impacts on refugees' adoption and use of technology in the settlement process.