There is still a long way to go until all rural communities enjoy access to affordable world-class broadband and have the devices and skills to be able to make the most of this. Closing this gap is of paramount importance if services continue to be delivered online by default, as well as the roll out of other technological innovations such as autonomous vehicles.
In the long run, we want the government to commit to connecting every rural community to broadband, by one means of another, and at a cost and quality comparable to urban areas. But until that happens, its essential commissioners of public services test their assumptions about the ability of users to access and make use of new digital technology. It may be the case that certain people such as the elderly need more support with this.
View our specific policy recommendations for the next government here.
