Access to quality and reliable telecommunications services has become a central part of modern life. Digital technologies are essential for everyday living and a primary means of accessing information, employment, markets and key services. For children, it is particularly important as these technologies can support their education, social connectedness and their ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy.

For some Australians, however, their lower level of digital inclusion means that they are less able to enjoy the benefits of being online. This includes First Nations people and communities, older Australians, and low-income households.

The report below is the third in the series on access to telecommunication services and uses HILDA data to gain insights into the socioeconomic characteristics of Australians without access to the internet. 

With the continued transition of services and opportunities online, supporting digital inclusion will continue to be a critical part of ensuring all Australians can access those benefits, particularly people living in regional and remote areas.

Revision note (June 2026)

This report has been revised following publication to improve the specification of the econometric models and the clarity of interpretation.

The key changes are:

• Household income is now expressed in logarithmic form in both models to improve consistency and interpretability.
• Interaction terms have been removed from the logistic regression model to simplify the specification. 
• The interpretation of marginal effects has been clarified to more accurately reflect model outputs.
• Explanations of hazard rates, odds ratios and Kaplan-Meier survival curves have been revised for greater precision.

These revisions improve the robustness and interpretability of the analysis. The overall findings and policy insights remain materially unchanged.

Access to quality and reliable telecommunications services has become a central part of modern life. Digital technologies are essential for everyday living and a primary means of accessing information, employment, markets and key services. For children, it is particularly important as these technologies can support their education, social connectedness and their ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy.

For some Australians, however, their lower level of digital inclusion means that they are less able to enjoy the benefits of being online. This includes First Nations people and communities, older Australians, and low-income households.

The second report of the series on access to telecommunication services uses survey data of Australian youth to understand how young peoples’ socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds impact their access to digital technology. It also explores young people’s experiences online.

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Fixed broadband plays a vital role in connecting Australians, and significant public investment has been made to develop fixed broadband infrastructure with the rollout of the NBN.

Fixed broadband carries just under 90 per cent of all downloads in Australia and will remain an important part of Australia's broadband infrastructure.

It is therefore important that the performance of Australia's fixed broadband infrastructure is known and comparable to our international peers.

While existing international comparisons provide useful insights, data availability and challenges in comparing like for like indicators across countries mean that they do not always provide an accurate picture of Australia's relative performance. In particular, existing measures fall short in enabling comparisons between countries with similar economic compositions, technology, population and geographic features.

To provide transparency on Australia's relative performance and to facilitate more meaningful comparisons, the Bureau of Communications, Arts, and Regional Research (BCARR) will monitor indicators that are relevant to fixed broadband in Australia, and make comparisons to countries with similar economies and geography.

Access to quality and reliable telecommunications services has become a central part of modern life. Digital technologies are essential for everyday living and a primary means of accessing information, employment, markets and key services. For children, it is particularly important as these technologies can support their education, social connectedness and their ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy.

For some Australians, however, their lower level of digital inclusion means that they are less able to enjoy the benefits of being online. This includes First Nations people and communities, older Australians, and low-income households.

In the first report of this series 'Use of digital technologies among First Nations children—Findings from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children' (2024) BCARR analyses survey data of First Nations children and families to understand how their use of telecommunications has changed over time. The research also identifies socioeconomic characteristics that impact digital technology use and ownership.

With the continued transition of services and opportunities online, supporting digital inclusion will continue to be a critical part of ensuring all Australians can access those benefits, particularly people living in regional and remote areas.