Abstract: Access to Information Communication Technology in Australia is almost taken for granted. However, there is one segment of the Australian population that lags well behind the majority when it comes to access to ICT—namely the Aboriginal Community.  Wider access to ICTs and in particular the Internet is vital to overcome the digital divide.  There have been many studies that demonstrate education and employment are strong factors in predicting access to ICTs; however to understand the digital divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia it is important to look at the access factors holistically.  This paper examines factors that contribute to the existence of the digital divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in a rural context.

Dr Peter Radoll is Director of Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre at the Australian National University. His PhD examined the adoption and effective use of Information Communication Technologies in Australian Indigenous Communities. Prior to commencing at the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre as the Director, Peter taught Information Systems in the College of Business and Economics at the ANU. Peter's research interests include Information Systems, Information Technology adoption and Information Technology development projects in Australian Indigenous Communities. Before commencing further study Peter worked as a systems support officer at AIATSIS and a Business Analyst/Programmer in the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.