Another barrier? Regional consumers, non-profit organisations, and the NBN in the Northern Rivers Region

The Another Barrier? report provides a snapshot of the challenges faced by not-for-profit organisations and the people they support in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. As Australia moves into the era of the digital economy and the National Broadband Network (NBN), not-for profits are increasingly finding themselves as brokers of phone and internet access for their clients who continue to struggle with the basics of availability, affordability, and accessibility of ICT. The research, conducted by Spiral Research & Consultulting and funded by the ACCAN Grants Scheme is an on-the-ground account of how regional non-profit organisations and their clients are currently faring in relation to communications technology. Using a qualitative approach, the research taps into the rich source of experiences of a community increasingly reliant on its NFP organisations to broker access to the ICTs that facilitate access to services. The voices of people working within these organisations are captured throughout the report as vignettes. The findings provide insight into how these consumers are likely to fare in the digitally enabled society facilitated by high-speed broadband and the NBN. Recommendations include the need for increased awareness of the unique issues affecting disadvantaged consumers living in regional areas and a cross-sector strategic approach to supporting not-for-profits to facilitate access to information and services for their clients.&nbsp