Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communities

Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communities

Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communities

© Commonwealth of Australia 2008

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Australian Communications and Media Authority1

Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communities

Contents

Executive summary

1.Background and methodology

The Australian telecommunications regulatory environment

The Universal Service Obligation (USO)

The Universal Service Provider (USP)

The Customer Service Guarantee (CSG)

Previous reports on telecommunications in remote Indigenous communities

Methodology

Definitions and Scope

Data sources

Limitations

Background—Indigenous population in Australia

Factors influencing telecommunications access and use—findings of previous research

Outcomes of improved access to telecommunications services—findings of previous research

2.Telecommunications access and use

Voice services

Payphones

Fixed-line telephones

Mobile telephones

Internet services

Access to the internet in remote Indigenous communities

Internet use

Funding programs

Emerging technologies

3.Case study—Telecommunications services in Tiwi Island communities

Profile of the Tiwi Islands

Population

Income

Housing

Language

Existing telecommunications services in the Tiwi Islands

Payphones and fixed-line telephones

Mobile telephones

Community Phones

Internet access

Pathways to adoption and use

Conclusion

4.Conclusions and observations

Glossary

Bibliography

Australian Communications and Media Authority1

Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communities

Executive summary

Indigenous Australians living in remote communities face distinct challenges in accessing and using basic telecommunications services. Vast geographic distances, small and remote populations, the cost of deploying telecommunications infrastructure and harsh environmental conditions present difficulties for the provision of telecommunications services to these communities. These difficulties are compounded by the socioeconomic disadvantagesfaced by many individuals within remote Indigenous communities.

Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communitieshas been undertaken as part of ACMA’s legislative monitoring and reporting responsibilities. It forms part of a broader program of research and data collection that is designed to help ACMA in its role as the industry regulator, and is consistent with ACMA’s legislative responsibility to report on telecommunications industry developments and service provision.

Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communitiesprovides detailed information on access to telecommunications services in remote Indigenous communities, and discusses factors that may inhibit or enable service availability and use. It presents the most recent data collected by ACMA in its regulatory monitoring arrangements and provides a synthesis of other current research. Related studies forming part of ACMA’s wider research program include:

●reporting on telecommunications access in remote Indigenous communities in ACMA’s annual Communications Report[1];

●ACMA’s Telecommunications Today series of consumer research reports[2];

●Patterns of Internet Access in Australia—a study conducted by the ABS with funding from ACMA, which analysed the Census 2006 data on internet access[3]; and

●a literature review of research examining the concept of the ‘digital divide’.[4]

Chapter 1 outlines the regulatory framework fortelecommunications service provision in remote Indigenous communities. It also sets out the report methodology and provides background information.

Chapter 2 provides a detailed examination of the current availability of telecommunications in remote Indigenous communities—including access to payphones, and the take-up and use of fixed-line, mobile and internet services. Key findings are summarised below:

●Overall access to telephone services. According to 2007 Telstra data, 77 per cent of remote Indigenous communities have access to some form of telephone service (excluding mobile satellite coverage)[5].

●Payphones. According to 2007 Telstra data and 2006 CHIN Survey (Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey)data, over half of all remote Indigenous communities, representing 84 per cent of the population in communities, are estimated to have access to a payphone or community phone service. Telstra data shows that payphones are the sole form of telephone service available for 10 per cent of remote Indigenous communities.

●In many remote Indigenous communities, payphones continue to play an important role in facilitating communication between members of Indigenous communities and their families, and in providing access to bankingand other services.

●Telstra’s payphone fault rectification performance in remote Indigenous communities during 2006–07 was lower than in remote areas generally and lower still compared with rural and urban areas.

●Fixed-line services. It is estimated that there is a fixed-line service take-up rate of approximately 20 per cent of the population in remote Indigenous communities, according to Telstra and CHIN survey data. At a community level, Telstra data show that 59 per cent of remote Indigenous communities have access to a fixed-line service.

●Terrestrial mobile coverage. According to Telstra data, 3G mobile coverage is available to an estimated 26 per cent of remote Indigenous communities.

●Use of telephone services. Interviews with Indigenous community membersindicate that payphones, mobile telephones and other fixed-line services, particularly the community office telephone, are used more often than residential fixed-line services.

●Internet access.In terms of communal internet access, CHIN survey data shows that 11 per cent of remote Indigenous communities have public internet access, primarily through satellite or dial-up connections. These communities represent an estimated 51 per cent of the population living in remote Indigenous communities.

●Home Internet access.In terms of internet access in the home, ACMA-funded analysis of the 2006 Census data found that Indigenous people are 69 per cent less likely to have internet access at home and 52 per cent less likely to have broadband access at home, compared with non-Indigenous people.

●Influence of geographic isolation and other factors. The factors influencing telecommunications access in remote Indigenous communities are complex, encompassing both supply and demand factors. Remoteness and distance from established infrastructure play a strong part, according to an analysis of Telstra data.

●Project SAND. Research into alternative communications solutions for desert communities is continuing. The SAND project ims to complement and extend existing telecommunications infrastructure in a cost-effective and simple way—that is, to fill some of the gaps in service provision to remote Indigenous communities.

Chapter 3 is a case study reporting on the availability and use of telecommunications services in the TiwiIslands. The primary findings of this case study are:

●Access to telecommunications services is higher than in most Indigenous communities in very remote areas, with payphones, mobile and fixed line services and a trial Community Payphone service available for use.

●Interviews with community spokespeople and service provider organisations revealed that mobile telephone take-up is significantin TiwiIsland communities but few residents have fixed-line telephone access at home. Coin-operated payphones are heavily used by community members and the provision of card-only community phones has been welcomed by residents.

●Access to the internet is limited in TiwiIsland communities, with few public internet facilities available and a low level of household access to the internet. However, internet service choice has improved with the recent arrival of ADSL broadband to the Nguiu community.

●Access to telecommunications services is important for local business functions and personal purposes, particularly for accessing banking services.

●In the TiwiIslands, telecommunications service adoption and use are facilitated by community consultation and engagement, raising awareness through ‘word of mouth’ and practical demonstrations, and internet training.

Chapter 4makes some concluding observations about telecommunications services in remote Indigenous communities.

1.Background and methodology

Chapter 1 outlines the regulatory framework for the provision of telecommunications services in remote Indigenous communities and the methodology used in this report. Background information on population distribution is also presented.

The Australian telecommunications regulatory environment

ACMA’s program to monitor and report on telecommunications availability, quality and needs in remote Indigenous communities is prescribed by the telecommunications service requirements outlined in the regulatory framework. The following is a summary of the relevant Australian telecommunications legislation as it relates to telecommunications service provision in remote Indigenous communities.

The Universal Service Obligation (USO)

Under Part 2 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 (TCPSS Act), the USO comprises three obligations; in particular, to ensure that Standard Telephone Services (STSs) and payphones are reasonably accessible to all people in Australia on an equitable basis, wherever they reside or carry on business.

Significantly for remote Indigenous communities, the USO stipulates that a payphone should be provided to communities with a permanent population of more than 20 adult residents or 50 people in total, unless there are extenuating circumstances such as low site accessibility. In the latter case, a viable alternative service is provided, such as mobile or satellite coverage.

The Universal Service Provider (USP)

Telstra is currently the primary USP and is required under the TCPSS Act to fulfil the USO:

1. Effectively, efficiently and economically.
2. In ways that are consistent with Australia’s open and competitive telecommunications regime.
3. In ways that are, as far as practicable, responsive to the needs of consumers.

The TCPSS Act requires the USP to develop a Policy Statement that sets out how it will deliver the required STS and payphones, and a Standard Marketing Plan (SMP) that outlines the equipment, goods or services it will supply throughout Australia. ACMA is responsible for approving variations to the SMP and for monitoring Telstra’s compliance with the USO.

The SMP outlines a range of initiatives introduced by Telstra in response to the challenge of providing telecommunications services to remote Indigenous communities. These include the Telstra National Indigenous Directorate, established in July 2005 as a dedicated unit for coordinatingimprovements to telecommunications service delivery to remote Indigenous communities and developing Indigenous employment and sponsorship initiatives. It aims to provide consistency in service delivery to Indigenous communities across various Telstra projects.

The Telstra National Indigenous Directorate[6]:

●delivers telephone services through the Community Phones Program and broadband connectivity through the Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund broadband infrastructure projects;

●manages the Indigenous Hotline, which aims to provide a call centre service staffed by people who understand Indigenous culture;

●works with employment agencies to facilitate increased employment of Indigenous people within Telstra; and

●participates in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, as well as the Telstra Foundation.

The Customer Service Guarantee (CSG)

The Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 1997 was established under Part 9 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. The CSG requires the telecommunications industry to meet minimum performance requirements and to provide customers with financial compensation when these timeframes are not met. The CSG covers the supply of standard fixed-line telephone services. If a telephone company offers these services in an area, then that company must meet maximum STS timeframes applying to that area for:

●connecting a service;

●repairing a fault or service difficulty; and

●attending appointments with customers.

Previous reports on telecommunications in remote Indigenous communities

Telecommunications in Remote Indigenous Communitieshas been informed by a range of reports undertaken by government or independent sources reviewing the availability of services in remote Indigenous communities.

●Telecommunications Action Plan for Remote Indigenous Communities (TAPRIC Report, 2002)[7] was a comprehensive review undertaken by a government-led taskforce in response to the recommendations of the Telecommunications Service Inquiry (2001).[8] The TAPRIC Report examined 1,300 remote Indigenous communities and proposed a combination of strategies to address the unique difficulties they faced in accessing adequate telecommunication services.

●The Regional Telecommunications Inquiry (RTI, 2002)[9] found that remote Indigenous communities remain the most disadvantaged telecommunications users in Australia and made a number of recommendations specific to telecommunications.

●The Payphone Policy Review (2004),[10] conducted by the former Australian Communications Authority (ACA), found that payphones in remote Indigenous communitiesserve a wider role than payphones in other communities. In particular, the review found that payphones frequently provide a lifeline service to these communities, and made recommendations to improve payphone access and quality of service in these areas.

●Monitoring and Reporting on Telecommunications Services in Remote Indigenous Communities(2004),[11]a discussion paper produced by the ACA, outlined a program of monitoring the wider telecommunications needs, service availability and quality in remote Indigenous communities.

●Data Collection and Monitoring of Telecommunications Needs and Services in Remote Indigenous Communities(Data Collection and Monitoring Report, 2004)[12]collated responses to the above discussion paper and refined the ACA’s monitoring program in Indigenous communities. Further, the paper outlined a data collection and reporting methodology for future studies of telecommunications needs in remote Indigenous communities.

Methodology

Definitions and Scope

For the purpose of this report, the term ‘remote Indigenous community’ is used to encompass a variety of location descriptions such as town camps and outstations, andrefers primarily to discrete Indigenous communities that are located outside major cities. This is in keeping with data collection parameters used in the 2006 Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (the CHIN survey).

The term remote is used in this report to describe localities where accessibility to a range of service centres may be reduced as a result of geographic location. This report draws on data collected from Indigenous communities located in all remoteness categories outside major cities.[13]Where detailed information is available, data is provided according to specific remoteness category.

Remoteness of location is a particular characteristic of most Indigenous communities. The 2006 CHIN survey reported that 94 per cent of Indigenous communities were located in remote (nine per cent) or very remote (85 per cent) areas of Australia, creating additional communication challenges.

In order to provide a comprehensive analysis of telecommunications services in Indigenous communities, this study includes data from the six per cent of communities that are located in a regional, but not strictly remote, area. In doing so, data in this report encompasses 99.7 per cent of Australia’s discrete Indigenous communities.[14]

An Indigenous person is someone who identifies themselves, or is identified by another household member, as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin.[15]

A Discrete Indigenous Communityis defined as ‘a geographic location bounded by physical or cadastral (legal) boundaries, and inhabited or intended to be predominantly by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with housing or infrastructure that is managed on a community basis’.[16] The term encompasses a variety of location descriptions such as town camps and outstations.

Data sources

This report brings together information from a broad range of sources, including published reports; journal articles; and studies by academic, government, public and other organisations such as land councils. ACMA undertook a case study in the TiwiIslands, surveying community spokespeople on the availability of telecommunications services in the area. The specific methodology employed for the case study is provided in Chapter 3.

Indigenous sources

In addition to the qualitative data gathered by ACMA staff in the TiwiIslands in 2007, this report uses information collected by staff of the former ACA in 45 Indigenous communities for the 2004 Data Collection and Monitoring Report, as well as previous ACA casestudies undertaken in East Arnhem Land, Central Australia and the NgaanyatjarraLands.

Industry

ACMA’s industry data collection and monitoring arrangements include annual Telstra updates on telephone service provision for Indigenous communities listed in the TAPRIC database. Telstra, as the USP, is the primary carriage service provider in remote areas and reports annually to ACMA; data from other carriers is not currently available.Telstra’s data updates are based on an analysis of active service records from communities and on the number of services delivered under trial initiatives.

It is important to note that information provided by the TAPRIC database provides information on 1063 of the 1187 remote Indigenous communities listed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics; for this reason, raw figures for the two data sources may not be directly comparable.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

This report employs data from a range of ABS datasets and reports including:

●the CHIN survey;

●Census 2006;

●National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) 2002; and

●The Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Street Islander People (2008) (in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare).

Where possible and appropriate, this report classifies data by Indigenous Regions in accordance with the Australian Indigenous Geographic Classification (AIGC) established by the ABS[17] (see Figure 1.1, p.15). This is in addition to analysis of remote Indigenous community data at the national and state/territory level.

Limitations

Although a range of research has been carried out in the area of service provision to Indigenous communities, several challenges remain. At present, there is only qualitative data about current telecommunications use in remote Indigenous communities.

Another challenge is that two of the key information sources for this report—data reported by Telstra to ACMA and the CHIN survey—report against a different community base. In the main, the two data sources cover the same Indigenous communities. However, the communities that Telstra reports on are Indigenous communities identified by TAPRIC as non-urban and with at least one permanent dwelling or fixed-line service (1,063 communities). In contrast, the CHIN survey reports on all discrete Indigenous communities (1,187 communities), including urban communities and communities without permanent dwellings or fixed-line services.
Figure 1.1:Indigenous regions according to the Australian Indigenous Geographic Classification