Connectivity Innovation Network publishes whitepaper on Australia's digital divide

The Connectivity Innovation Network (CIN), a joint venture of the NSW Telco Authority and The Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, has published its inaugural whitepaper 'Towards Ubiquitous Connectivity in Australia'. It explores the obstacles Australia faces in achieving unlimited access to connectivity amid a quickly transforming technological landscape.

The whitepaper scrutinises various facets of connectivity crucial for digital services and gives an overview of emergent technologies carrying the potential to provide ubiquitous, fit-for-purpose connectivity to isolated and rural regions across Australia. Such technologies include low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), large-area wi-fi, and 6G mobile communications. The whitepaper has been penned by distinguished academics and CIN associates, Professor Y Jay Guo, Professor Yonghui Li, and Dr Ian Oppermann, in association with telecommunications specialists, industry leaders, and governmental bodies.

Insights from the NSW Telco Authority's Digital Connectivity Index shared in the whitepaper underscore the discrepancy in connectivity across various NSW regions. CIN Technical Director, Professor Y. Jay Guo, highlighted that despite progress being made, the digital divide in Australia still lingers, impacting the access to critical services, education, and employment opportunities. "In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, the whitepaper delves into the ongoing challenges faced by parts of Australia, particularly rural NSW, in achieving ubiquitous connectivity," Professor Guo stated.

The publication underscores the importance of prioritising digital inclusion and meaningful connectivity and outlines the NSW Government's Connectivity Strategy, aimed at widening access to essential services and addressing affordability. It further offers recommendations for the NSW Government to ameliorate the current levels of connectivity. Such recommendations encompass continuous support for public-private partnership models to invest in local technology innovations, harnessing local universities' research skills to foster the growth of local industry, and setting audacious goals in partnership with the governments of allied nations to spawn a regional or global market.

The whitepaper also suggests developing rapidly deployable communication networks for emergencies, investing in technologies such as HAPS and drone-enabled communications to extend coverage in remote or disaster-hit areas, and harnessing wireless sensing for early detection and monitoring of natural disasters.

CIN Director Dr Oppermann applauded the whitepaper's release, calling it a pivotal milestone in the roadmap to a fully connected NSW and a precursor to transformative advancements in technology and digital inclusion. "We aim to use the release of the whitepaper to help steer the development of innovative solutions towards ubiquitous connectivity, where devices are seamlessly connected, able to process data without interruption and are accessible by everyone on any device, in any location and in any format," Dr Oppermann said.