When will we ever learn? A case in support of a new relationship with remote-living Australians.

The rollout plans for the National Broadband Network, in regard to the interests of remotely-based Australians, show that little has been learnt, by those making policy and program decisions, about the realities of remote and Indigenous life. Remote-living Australians have the most to gain, and the most to lose from the outcomes of such an important change in the way the nation interacts. The model through which advanced telecommunications services are offered to them therefore presents a critical test of the fairness and inclusiveness of the NBN policies. Failure to alleviate the debilitating effects of isolation will also threaten the nation’s ability to fully occupy its own landmass into the future.