This paper discusses the potentially looming 'digital participation gap' in Australia, if concerted efforts are not commenced soon to make certain that poor, remote and vulnerable communities in Australia are not actively included in the fast internet roll-out.

The National Digital Economy Strategy outlines the government’s vision for Australia’s digital economy.

Executive summary NICTA welcomes the Parliamentary Committee‟s inquiry into the role and potential of the national broadband network (NBN). A national broadband network has the potential to greatly improve Australia‟s economic, social and environmental performance and make us more competitive in the global economy. NICTA believes that growth in demand for bandwidth will continue to...

In recent years, the connection between economic growth and the take-up and use of broadband has been used to justify significant government intervention and public expenditure in broadband networks. In the United States, stimulus funding has been committed for broadband planning and deployment initiatives. In Australia, the expectation of significant economic benefit has been used...

The first sections of this paper will review how those issues have been addressed as the technology has changed and, with it, how the universal service has been defined, delivered and paid for in differing regulatory contexts. The Government's policy for the provision of a National Broadband Network (NBN), however, significantly alters the technological and...