This presentation progresses hotly contested conversations about the urban–rural digital divide in Australia, a divide which has also been observed between Southern and Northern Australia. The presentation is based on a peer-reviewed, commentary-style article published in 2024 in which I reflect on my own experience of living in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland, and six years of scholarship devoted to understanding digital inclusion in geographically remote communities.

In tacking stock of the geographical digital divide, I combine findings and vignettes from my published research with a review and critique of relevant policy/programs and data from the Australian Digital Inclusion Index. I make observations about the evolution of geographical digital inclusion in Australia focused on three themes: incremental digital development; the complexity and cost of getting connected; and compounding factors of disadvantage. These insights culminate in articulation of an emerging digital divide WITHIN rural cohorts themselves, which is an altogether different challenge compared to the ‘tyranny of distance’ factors (location, terrain, weather) that have traditionally characterised rural–urban connectivity divides. The emerging rural digital divide is not (only) one of infrastructure, but increasingly of people’s capacity to access and use available services, which is closely linked to socioeconomic factors.

The research is anchored theoretically in global scholarly debates around rural digital inclusion, but also deeply contextualised in the current state of digital infrastructure, capability investment, and the lived experiences of people in Northern Australia. I conclude with recommendations for progressing digital inclusion in Northern Australia in the context of rapidly evolving new technologies, such as low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Specifically, I argue for a balanced approach to technological development and telecommunications policy making that ensures we retain baseline, sovereign digital infrastructure to ensure the future for all Northern Australians.