Policy Context

Digital inclusion is the ability for Australians to access and use digital technologies effectively, a fundamental determinant of social and economic participation in modern Australian society.¹ It is no longer a luxury but a prerequisite for accessing essential health, education, and employment services, following news and media, and maintaining social connections.¹ Across Australia, digital exclusion remains an important challenge - however, the divide is most severe for regional and remote communities. For these populations, limited connectivity acts as a significant barrier to opportunities, directly driving social isolation and compounding economic disadvantage. By failing to bridge this gap, we risk leaving the most geographically isolated Australians further behind in a highly digitised world.²

According to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) around one in five Australians remain digitally excluded. The ADII provides a comprehensive framework for measuring inclusion across three key dimensions: Access (the infrastructure and devices available), Affordability (the relative cost of data and hardware) and Digital Ability (the skills and confidence to use technology).¹ While national scores have shown steady improvement, the 2025 findings highlight persistent “digital gaps” for specific groups, including First Nations peoples, low-income households and people living with disability.¹,⁵

Digital inclusion is particularly important for children and young people. Young people are required to use technology to book appointments, use services, engage in education, and stay connected with friends and family. Beyond basic technical skills, supporting digital inclusion for young people includes fostering “digital literacy”; the ability to navigate the internet safely and discover information - a skill essential for their long-term wellbeing and career readiness.⁴

Community led initiatives, like those supported by the Digital Inclusion WA network, demonstrate that addressing these barriers requires more than just providing hardware; it requires localised support systems that build trust and confidence.³ By aligning state-based efforts with the ADII’s data-driven insights, policy interventions aim to remove barriers like high costs and the lack of accessible support – ultimately fostering a more equitable and digitally capable community.⁴