Broadband connectivity for rural community and agricultural development Freeman, Julie and Park, Sora 2017, Broadband connectivity for rural community and agricultural development, Farm policy journal, vol. 14, no. 3, Spring Quarter, pp. 19-29. Attached Files Name Description MIMEType Size Downloads Title Broadband connectivity for rural community and agricultural development Author(s) Freeman, Julie orcid.org/0000-0002-7599-4105 Park, Sora Journal name Farm policy journal Volume number 14 Issue number 3 Season Spring Quarter Start page 19 End page 29 Total pages 11 Publisher Australian Farm Institute Place of publication Surry Hills, N.S.W. Publication date 2017 ISSN 1449-2210 1449-8812 Keyword(s) broadband infrastructure digital divide rural communities digital agriculture NBN Summary Digital network technologies aid the socioeconomic prosperity of rural communities, particularly through agricultural innovation to improve productivity and competitiveness. However, internet access is imperative to benefit from the full functionality of digital technologies and connect to wider markets and services. To date, Australia’s national broadband plans have not ensured parity in service provision between urban and rural areas, which results in uneven opportunities based on remoteness and regionality. Forms of connectivity fundamentally shape the activities pursued online and areas with higher quality broadband hold a competitive advantage. Rural users of Australia’s satellite and mobile wireless connections are constrained by poor coverage, unreliability and slow speeds, which are compounded by high costs, limited consumer choice of providers, and restricted data allowances. These constraints mean the potential of digital technologies for rural socioeconomic development remain largely unrealised. This article argues that rural Australia must be prioritised in broadband infrastructure developments to narrow the digital divide and provide the connectivity necessary to increase rural participation in the digital economy. It suggests greater flexibility in policy would encourage investment in and support for local infrastructure solutions that address different demands and market environments. Language eng Field of Research 200102 Communication Technology and Digital Media Studies 0701 Agriculture, Land And Farm Management Socio Economic Objective 950299 Communication not elsewhere classified HERDC Research category C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal Copyright notice ©2017, Australian Farm Institute Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30104693 Document type: Journal Article Collections: Faculty of Arts and Education School of Communication and Creative Arts Related Links Link Description Connect to Elements publication management system Go to link with your DU access privileges     Unless expressly stated otherwise, the copyright for items in DRO is owned by the author, with all rights reserved. Versions Version Filter Type Mon, 13 Nov 2017, 11:34:28 EST Mon, 13 Nov 2017, 11:35:10 EST Tue, 14 Nov 2017, 04:00:22 EST Wed, 29 Nov 2017, 05:05:04 EST Mon, 04 Dec 2017, 14:05:57 EST Mon, 04 Dec 2017, 14:14:32 EST Mon, 04 Dec 2017, 14:17:01 EST Tue, 05 Dec 2017, 13:56:58 EST Filtered Full Citation counts:   Cited 0 times in TR Web of Science Cited 0 times in Scopus Search Google Scholar Access Statistics: 933 Abstract Views, 2 File Downloads  -  Detailed Statistics Created: Mon, 13 Nov 2017, 11:35:10 EST