Digital Equity and Inclusion in Western Parkland City

The Western Parkland City Digital Equity and Inclusion project shows the localised findings of targeted research aimed at benchmarking digital inclusion across the Western Parkland City. The index scores, depicted through a choropleth map, highlight specific gaps and priorities for improving overall digital inclusion and dimensions of Access, Ability and Affordability across each of the eight participating Council areas.

Ability

Digital Ability is about our skill levels: what we are able do online, and our confidence in doing it. Having limited digital capability in the types of skills and knowledge needed to get online, operate functions and navigate sites with confidence and safety has been referred to the ‘second level’ digital divide. In measuring Digital Ability, the ADII draws upon the Internet Skills Scale (ISS) to focus on six skills domains. The ADII’s Digital Ability score measures the following skills components:

• Basic operational (i.e., downloading and opening files, connecting to the internet, and setting passwords)
• Advanced operational (i.e., saving to the cloud, determining what is safe to download, customising devices and connections, and adjusting privacy settings (e.g. downloading and opening files, connecting to the internet))
• Information navigation (i.e., searching and navigating, verifying trustworthy information, and managing third party data collection)
• Social (i.e., deciding what to share, how, and who with, managing and monitoring contacts, and communicating with others)
• Creative (i.e., editing, producing, and posting content, as well as having a broad understanding of the rules that may apply to these activities)
• Smart (i.e., connecting, operating, and managing smart devices and IoT technologies)

Access

The Digital Access dimension within the ADII is a measure of several interrelated components of internet usage that include intensity and frequency of use, types of devices, and use of fixed and mobile plans. It is well recognised that the quality of both fixed and mobile connectivity is problematic and underserviced in regional and remote areas – often due to intermittent and unreliable access to the nbn.

Affordability

As connected technologies have developed and more people move online, some gaps in connectivity access have narrowed. However, for many people, particularly in areas with higher concentrations of low-income individuals and households, affordability can present significant barriers to achieving digital equity across the city. This includes being able to afford quality and reliable mobile and fixed broadband plans and the devices needed to connect online.

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Source: Data is sourced through a collaboration between Smart Places, Cities and Active Transport, Transport for NSW and The Parks, Sydney’s Parkland Councils, an alliance of the eight local government areas that comprise Western Parkland City as part of the Western Parkland City Digital Equity and Inclusion Insights Program. This is currently a one-off release. At this time we do not have plans to update this dataset regularly.