Regional Australia in the digital economy

Internet users in major urban areas are only slightly behind those in major capital cities in terms of levels of internet connectivity and frequency of internet use, but equal in terms of intensity of online participation, according to this report. Summary Regardless of where people live in Australia, they are increasingly going online and using the internet more frequently. Use of the internet via mobile phones has seen the biggest increase across Australia, with mobile phone internet services typically being used as a complementary service to a home internet connection. Across all regions, Australians are diversifying their online activities, with the number and nature of activities performed online increasing and diversifying. This diversification is being led in particular by growth in two areas of activity—‘entertainment’, and ‘blogging and online communities’. Streaming has been the most prominent development in online ‘entertainment’ activities, with the number of Australians who directly stream content overtaking those downloading content