Bridging the broadband gap

It’s amazing to think that in a country where almost half of adult Australians own a smart device, there are some people who simply don’t use the internet at all. Despite living in a country which is often known for early adoption of technology, there are still a staggering four million or one in five Australians who aren’t online.

For the past 12 months our researchers have been collecting fresh insights and evidence to better understand the impact and opportunities offered by next generation broadband as well as advice on the necessary steps needed to mitigate the associated risks. We’ve compiled our findings into the Broadband Impacts Report, a collection of comprehensive community surveys and interviews with businesses as well as detailed analyses of existing data sources and peer-reviewed economic and social research.

We found that by and large Australian households, businesses and governments are currently not prepared to fully take advantage of the services afforded by next generation broadband. However, across the board we also found that by giving more people and businesses the skills and confidence to use these broadband services effectively, will not only have a positive impact on their quality of life and business success, but also create broader economic benefits.

This infographic explains some of the key findings from the Broadband Impacts and Challenges Report (click for full size):