Connect, Innovate & Support: Digital Inclusion and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

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1 Connect, Innovate & Support: Digital Inclusion and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples A Summary Report on Stakeholder Consultation for participating groups Introduction In March and April 2013, Telstra undertook a series of stakeholder interviews with organisations across the country to better understand the barriers to improving the digital inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The aim of the research was to identify the barriers which might be specific to Indigenous groups and to identify where Telstra may be able to assist in addressing the specific challenge of digital inclusion in remote, regional and urban settings. The research also sought to determine where digital exclusion is an issue for Indigenous groups and where it is not an issue at all. This short report is a summary of those interviews and the insights Telstra gained about digital inclusion and Indigenous groups. Who was consulted? A total of 35 mainly face to face interviews were held with senior management and CEO level representatives. occurred in every State and Territory at the city, regional and remote community level. Twelve of the interviews had more than one person present and over 50 people participated during the course of the interviews. A breakdown of stakeholder interviews can be found in the tables below. Four key topics were covered during the interviews: How would you describe the level of take up of digital services by people or groups in your area? Are there any groups or people missing out and why is this? What opportunities are being missed because of these barriers? How could your organisation benefit from increased use of digital services? Overview of the interviews In the day to day role of most organisations, access to digital services was not the highest of priorities. It was typically acknowledged as an issue both in terms of barriers and area for potential for improvement, but was more in the background than the foreground for organisations. In most interviews the discussion addressed the nature of the organisation s constituents; what people were seeing in the field; aspirations around what is possible; barriers; and any issues the organisation wished to bring to Telstra s attention. The interviews also explored the nature of the use of digital services and associated technology and what were some leading examples the organisations had experienced or heard about. Telstra Indigenous Digital Inclusion: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Page 1

2 Breakdown of stakeholders consulted in the Telstra digital inclusion research State South Australia 3 Northern Territory 12 NSW 5 Tasmania 2 Victoria 2 ACT 3 WA 4 Queensland 4 Constituent Focus Urban 4 Regional 9 Remote / very remote 12 General 10 Location Adelaide 1 Murray Bridge 1 Hobart 2 Canberra 3 Sydney 2 Melbourne 1 Alice Springs 7 Darwin 3 Perth 3 Gosford 1 Echuca 1 Yarrabah 1 Cairns 2 Thursday Island 1 By Phone 6 Seniority Chair 4 CEO 19 General Manger 4 Senior Manger 5 Other 3 Body type Representative body 18 Specialist sector group 14 Sector expert 3 Representative body Land Council 9 Aboriginal Corporation 6 Local / Regional Government TOTAL 18 Specialist Sector group 3 Drug & Alcohol 1 Employment 1 Consultation 1 Legal 2 Art & Culture 1 Health 2 Technology 2 Education 1 Other 3 TOTAL 14 Telstra Indigenous Digital Inclusion: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Page 2

3 In other interviews we were able to explore more value-based questions such as whether increased access to the internet is necessarily a good thing and what should be an organisations responsibility to cyber safety. Topics consistently raised by stakeholders Mobile coverage: Many of the stakeholders raised the issue of mobile phone coverage. This was more prominent with organisations which represented remote or very remote communities. This issue was either raised in the context of what can Telstra do to address this issue but also in the context of attempts by the organisation to have coverage improved. Cyber safety: This was widely recognised as an issue in most conversations although it was only voluntarily raised in about half the interviews before it was asked if it was an issue. Opinions varied as to the severity of the issue from it comes with the territory to increased regulation in this area is needed or at least greater education and awareness. Most recognised it was a symptom of underlying community issues as opposed to an issue associated with increased use and access to internet services. Predominant use of mobile technology: Smartphones and Tablets are the preferred technology. The use of these is growing substantially and this trend appears very pronounced in remote communities, even where there is no mobile coverage. Issues of affordability: Affordability was raised consistently although most stakeholders could not expand on the topic beyond that the preference for pre-paid meant the cost was higher than post-paid and this was significant for a low income individual. People are however finding the money to buy credit and hardware like Smartphones and Tablets, so this issue is both about the ability to pay and the willingness to pay. It is also about the impact of spending too much on digital services if you are on a low income. Social media is widely used by the community: Facebook was identified as a communication vehicle of choice while Divas Chat was regularly mentioned as being popular albeit with cyber bullying problems in discrete communities. These sites are predominantly used instead of as the preferred way to communicate particularly in regional and remote settings. Social media use by Indigenous organisations is mixed: Organisations themselves were roughly 50/50 split as to whether they had some form of social media presence (Facebook and / or Twitter). Issues around moderating social websites were mostly raised as a barrier along with the opportunity for people to post defamatory comments. On the positive side, Facebook is widely considered a crucial way to keep in touch with people who are spread far and wide. Video conferencing is highly desired: This was identified by several organisations as a way to communicate with regional offices (staff and clients) and even to assist with visits with family members in prison. Very few organisations however had installed and operational videoconferencing facilities. The value of face to face communication in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities was often raised as very important hence the potential for videoconferencing. Telstra Indigenous Digital Inclusion: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Page 3

4 Benefits outweigh the negatives: Without exception stakeholders considered that the benefits of the internet and increased digital access outweighed the negatives such as cyber bullying. This has not always been the case with communications technology, for example the introduction of satellite TV services to the bush, with some sectors raising concerns around what increased access to western culture may do to Indigenous culture. This particular issue was never raised in the context of the internet and increased digital inclusion. Kids pick it up incredibly quickly: A consistent and universal observation. In remote settings this was sometimes put down to the fact that there was little else to do and boredom in some remote communities may be a factor. In remote communities however it was consistently noted that there is ingenious use being made of mobile technology particularly with multimedia. Apple technology wins: This is because the Apple platform includes additional features which are user friendly, intuitive and appeal to audio-visual preferences. This includes movie making, managing music, recording video, managing photos. Some limitations were noted with a question around Bluetooth connectivity. Need for Indigenous relevant materials: Some Government sites are largely inaccessible because they are complex to navigate and have too much screen information. Sites which rely more on audio and visual navigation could increase access significantly. Prepaid is preferred: It appears that the majority use of internet and phone services in remote areas is prepaid even though it was noted that the pricing structure is more expensive than post-paid plans. Prepaid avoids the need for managing regular account payments and understanding the terms and conditions associated with billing, both of which are challenges in remote settings. People learn by doing: Some time was spent exploring how people learn to use the technology and increase its use. There is a lot of standing over the shoulder and peer teaching involved in this area. Trial and error plays a key role as does on the ground support. Topics occasionally raised by stakeholders Any use of technology is a good use: The fact that people were using technology to communicate was considered good for literacy and education no matter what the technology was being used for. Any step in this direction was considered by several interviewees as a good one. Access to technical support is key: On the ground support and mentoring was considered as important as the supply of community computer hubs and the like. Being present when problems arose as opposed to formal training was raised in several interviews as the right approach. Access to quality IT professional resources also appeared to be the critical difference between organisations which had good IT service versus those which were less advanced. This difference was quite noticeable and pronounced. NBN is going to bring many opportunities: Expectations about what is going to be possible with the NBN are high. The way the NBN has been modelled faced some criticism about how it was a Telstra Indigenous Digital Inclusion: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Page 4

5 western model and unfit for remote communities (for example the NBN may get the cable or satellite signal to the house but then what? It also relies on the ability of a person to become a subscriber and to have a post paid service this will be a barrier in most remote and very remote communities). There was also concern expressed about the NBN where it will be delivered by satellite (the last 7% of the population, the majority of which are remote areas) and where superior fibre optic services already exist. The satellite service will be a backward step and there will be no commercial imperative to keep the better fibre optic service. Community resources work well: Even though there is a proliferation of mobile devices the use of community hubs or knowledge centres or homework hubs were still necessary and proving useful in lifting digital engagement. Where community wifi or hotspot services are provided (either free or modestly priced), there is a high penetration of use. Ownership is essential to deliver programs: This was raised in the context that local programs needed local buy in and consultation in order to be successfully implemented and sustained. Capturing of cultural information: Digitising cultural information was identified as a tangible use of technology and very worthwhile for communities. Several organisations are active in this area and the better programs had protocols around who could access the information. The young teach the old: Technology is providing an opportunity for young people to engage with their elders showing them what is possible and for the elders to impart information (think here about engagement around Google maps and an exploration of traditional lands via the computer or ipad). Don t look to a deficit model: Telstra was encouraged to look at the sustainable opportunities in this area which can expand use as opposed to trying to address what could be considered a deficit in access or resources. The former focuses on what is possible as opposed to something which creates dependence on the ongoing delivery of a service. The barriers to increased digital inclusion From the interviews five groups of barriers were identified as affecting digital inclusion: 1. Infrastructure: this barrier is essentially about the pipes to the home, community or organisation. 2. Hardware in the home: this goes to the logistics and support that is necessary to get modems, computers or wifi into the home or in the provision of community services such as community wifi or hubs. 3. Affordability: this barrier is about people s ability and willingness to pay for phone plans and other digital services and devices. 4. Propensity: this barrier is about the ability and desire of individuals to take up and use digital services and technology. Telstra Indigenous Digital Inclusion: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Page 5

6 5. Appropriate web based services: this is about the barrier created when services are very wordy and difficult to navigate. The barriers operate as a hierarchy. You need to address the prior one to realise the benefits of the next. For example, there is no sense in having appropriate web based services if the propensity to take up the service is not there. There is no sense in addressing propensity issues if a person cannot afford the service, and so on up the chain. Barriers affecting increased levels of digital inclusion INFRASTRUCTURE HARDWARE (the last 10 feet) AFFORDABILITY PROPENSITY APPROPRIATE WEB SERVICES The opportunity to address digital inclusion is in the shaded areas but is limited by other barriers you can only address a limited spectrum of opportunity because of higher barriers 0% digital inclusion Services here may exist but they are little use due to the exclusion faced further up 100% digital inclusion Further, if you work on one of the lower level barriers you only have a limited range of opportunities due to the limiting affect of barriers further up the chain. The compounding nature of the barriers means that there is a whole portion of potential digital services that is in effect unavailable. From interviews the barriers with the most opportunity for addressing the digital inclusion challenge (i.e. the best bang for your buck ) in order are: Propensity; Appropriate web based services; Affordability; Hardware (the last 10 feet); Infrastructure. In general terms the challenges around digital inclusion are more pronounced in remote and very remote locations. Again in general terms, outside of remote or very remote settings the challenges faced by Indigenous people when it comes to digital inclusion appear similar to that of any low income group. Addressing digital inclusion: key insights 1. Focus on incremental improvements: improvements to digital inclusion are at the margin because of limiting affect of the hierarchy of barriers. What this means is that programs need to be about an individual s next step facilitated for example through on the ground support, or Telstra Indigenous Digital Inclusion: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Page 6

7 through apps or internet resources which focus on encouraging an individual to explore and share digital resources. 2. Match programs to how people learn to use technology: To address digital inclusion, programs or support needs to match the way people learn to use or experience new technology, for example peer learning and where the young teach the old 3. Leverage an individual s current use: the predominant use of digital services is for entertainment and social connection. The opportunity to increase digital inclusion is to leverage this experience into the next level of engagement through provision of culturally appropriate services which are needed (for example access to government services, education resources, Indigenous specific applications). 4. Create opportunities to connect: This is about creating an enabling environment. The future is with mobile devices so access to services which support mobile devices is critical (for example community wifi projects, affordable and simple data plans, apps with no data charges, and having a phone which matches the service which is offered in an area). 5. Create opportunities to innovate: There is a pre-existing appetite in Indigenous communities for innovation when it comes to the use of digital technology. Digital inclusion can be progressed by finding top talent and providing a platform to generate products, for example apps, which are Indigenous-led that Indigenous people need. 6. Part of any program should address cyber-safety. You cannot operate a program which increases the use of digital services without some duty of care around cyber safety. Next steps The insights from the stakeholder research are being presented at a digital excellence summit organised by the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, with the support of the Telstra Foundation, in June The summit will explore the opportunities the digital world can provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and will be used to guide Telstra s initiatives in this area. Lauren Ganley General Manager Telstra Indigenous Directorate June 2013 Telstra Indigenous Digital Inclusion: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Page 7