REGIONAL SA needs to be specifically targeted to stop it falling behind in internet access and affordability, according to the South Australian Council of Social Services.
A report into digital inclusion has shown SA is the worst-performing mainland state, with regional areas worse off.
SACOSS is calling on the state government to make it a priority to overcome digital disadvantage in the upcoming budget.
SACOSS chief executive officer Ross Womersley said there needed to be a plan to improve the digital inclusion of those in regional areas.
“Digital inclusion is important everywhere to ensure all South Australians can access the jobs of future and participate fully in a digital world but it is particularly important for people in rural and regional areas because digital technologies have a special role in overcoming the disadvantages that arise from distance and remoteness,” he said.
“Digital technologies can link farmers to markets, give access to shops and services in regional areas – everything from banks to education and e-health – and help farmers and families keep in touch.”
Among the recommendations is a push to fund training to enable people to capitalise on the latest emerging technology.
Mr Womersley said while strategies such as the National Broadband Network and the Mobile Black Spot Program did help, there needed to be a plan for future government investment.
“There is an opportunity for SA to be a leader rather than at the back of the back,” he said.
The digital inclusion index was produced in a partnership between the Swinburne University of Technology, Telstra and Roy Morgan Research and assessed regions based on access, affordability and ability.
The highest performing state or territory in Australia is the ACT, with a score of 59.7, followed by Vic on 55.9, NSW with 54.9, NT on 54.8, WA on 54.2 and Qld on 53.5. SA was rated 51.6, ahead of just Tas, on 48.2.
While Adelaide was rated 52.8, regional areas averaged 47.3, with the Eyre Peninsula and northern SA – which encompasses the area north of Port Pirie – rated 45.6, one of the worst digital inclusion ratings across all of Australia, and 11 per cent worse than its metropolitan counterpart.
Nationally the difference between capital cities and regional areas averaged 6.6 point.
Based on affordability alone, regional SA had the lowest score across the nation, of 44.2, while Adelaide was still below the national average of 52.1, ranking 50.2.
Primary Producers SA chairman Rob Kerin said there was no doubt many areas of regional and remote SA were at a disadvantage for access to reliable, if any, digital access.
“Both mobile coverage and the access to reasonable internet have a range of effects on many regional residents,” he said.
“The poor access has educational, recreational and business effects, and denies many of our more distant residents access to what most take for granted. It also affects safety for tourists, drivers and hampers our emergency services.”
Mr Kerin said it also has impacts on how farmers, and other operations in the region, are able to function.
“Increasingly, it leaves many regional businesses at a major disadvantage – this may be for trading grain and other products, lack of access to e-commerce, or a whole range of information and communication access issues,” he said.
“As health, education, entertainment and business become more reliant on digital coverage, the disadvantage is increasing.
“The pace of these changes far outstrips the rate at which access to services is increasing.”
Science and Information Economy Minister Kyam Maher said, while the federal government’s National Broadband Network rollout already connected about 70 per cent of regional SA communities, the state government recognised there was ongoing need for improvement in access to affordable and reliable internet in regional areas.
“The SA government will continue to advocate on behalf of regional communities to the federal government for mobile black spots to be addressed, which would increase access to mobile internet,” he said.
Mr Maher said the government had committed $2 million towards mobile black spot towers in the latest round of a federal program, which helped secure 20 new mobile phone towers for regional SA.
“In recognition of the increasing importance of digital access for participation in the emerging high-tech economy, the SA government recently committed to investigating opportunities for the expansion of its ultra-high speed GigCity network to hubs in Whyalla and Mount Gambier,” he said.
ONLINE ACCESS CRITICAL TO EDUCATION, BUSINESS
Daniel and Belinda Hatcher, Mount Elm Station, via Hawker, were so frustrated with the failings in their digital access, they decided to take matters into their own hands.
About two years ago, they installed a high gain grid antenna, as well as receivers on their house and school house, to boost their mobile internet signal.
Mrs Hatcher said they were not happy with the performance of the satellite-based internet and were concerned with potential problems during the roll-out of the National Broadband Network.
“We decided we needed to look at something else,” she said.
They were inspired by relay systems used for checking water in the north west Pastoral areas and wondered if something similar could work for them.
Mrs Hatcher said the system had involved some investment, including the installation of solar panels, but they were lucky enough to be able to recoup some of the costs with a grant from the Open Access College.
They have access to 80 gigbytes, at a cost of $150, each month, with download speeds between 12 and 18 megabytes a second.
“To me, it has paid for itself 10-fold,” she said.
Mrs Hatcher said access to good digital coverage was increasingly a key requirement in day-to-day life.
Two of their three children learn through Port Augusta School of the Air, requiring two online lessons each day.
“The kids schooling is all digital,” she said.
“If the internet is down we are really hamstrung.
“Even if the teacher wanted to mail something, the Port Augusta mail goes via Adelaide.”
Mrs Hatcher said it was also critical to the running their farming operation.
“We run a business, and if we can’t access the internet, we can’t operate properly,” she said. “We get emailed stock prices, wool prices; if something breaks we can pop online and order it.
“The internet is so valuable – I can’t quantify where it is going to go.
“If our internet can’t keep up, then we can’t keep up.”