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The impact of local ICT initiatives on social capital and quality of life
This paper reviews the evidence for the effects of local ICT initiatives (‘community networks’) on neighbourhood social capital and quality of life and has been developed from the public SOCQUIT D11 report (Anderson et al, 2006)
Analyzing the patterns of ICT utilization for online public participatory planning in Queensland, Australia
Public participation in urban planning includes involving, informing, and consulting the public in planning, management, and other decision-making activities. It is an important part of the planning process, providing opportunity and encouragement for members of the public to express their views. Despite the usefulness of new technologies, however, the majority of Internet and GIS applications have not been very successful in encouraging significant public participation. One reason for this is the lack of readiness in accepting ICTs, both on the part of planning agencies, such as local councils, and members of the public. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the readiness of local councils in Queensland, Australia, to implement online urban planning. Local government authorities (LGAs) comprise the third tier of government in Australia. In Queensland, the local councils have statutory powers over land use zoning and the development approval processes. LGAs develop and implement strategic and local plans, including those for land use. This article considers the extent to which local councils are willing to embrace ICTs as a public participation tool and the extent to which households might be ready to access new computer technologies
Toward Universal Broadband in Rural Alaska
The TERRA-Southwest project is extending broadband service to 65 communities in the
Bristol Bay, Bethel and Yukon-Kuskokwim regions. A stimulus project funded by a combination
of grants and loans from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), TERRA-Southwest has installed a
middle-mile network using optical fiber and terrestrial microwave. Last-mile service will be
through fixed wireless or interconnection with local telephone networks.
The State of Alaska, through its designee Connect Alaska, also received federal stimulus
funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for tasks
that include support for an Alaska Broadband Task Force “to both formalize a strategic broadband
plan for the state of Alaska and coordinate broadband activities across relevant agencies and
organizations.”
Thus, a study of the impact of the TERRA project in southwest Alaska is both relevant and
timely. This first phase provides baseline data on current access to and use of ICTs and Internet
connectivity in rural Alaska, and some insights about perceived benefits and potential barriers to
adoption of broadband. It is also intended to provide guidance to the State Broadband Task Force
in determining how the extension of broadband throughout the state could contribute to education,
social services, and economic activities that would enhance Alaska’s future. Results of the
research could also be used proactively to develop strategies to encourage broadband adoption,
and to identify applications and support needed by users with limited ICT skills.Connect Alaska.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
General Communications Incorporated.Part 1: An Analysis of Internet Use in Southwest Alaska / Introduction / Previous Studies / Current Connectivity / Analytical Framework and Research Methodology / Demographics / Mobile Phones: Access and Use / Access to the Internet / Internet Useage / Considerations about Internet Service / Interest in Broadband / Sources of News / Comparison with National Data / Internet Use by Businesses and Organizations / What Difference may Broadband make in the Region? / Conclusiongs / Part 2 Literature Review / Reference
Digital Diversity: Broadband and Indigenous Populations in Alaska
Presented at the Experts Workshop.
Sponsored by the Ford Foundation.Alaska Natives comprise several cultural and linguistic groups including Inupiat, Yupik, Athabascan, Aleut, Tlingit and Haida, organized into some 226 tribes. Approximately two-thirds of the indigenous population live in more than 200 rural villages, most of which are remote settlements with fewer than 200 people and no road access.
Since the late 1970’s, all communities with at least 25 permanent residents have had telephone service, but broadband connectivity remains limited. The major mechanism for extending Internet access to rural Alaska has been federal universal service funds, specifically the E-rate program that subsidizes Internet access for schools and libraries, and the Rural Health program that subsidizes connectivity for rural health clinics and hospitals. Under the federal Stimulus program, Alaska has also recently received funding for infrastructure to extend broadband in southwest Alaska, for improved connectivity for rural libraries, and for training and support for rural public computer centers.
These initiatives primarily support improvements in Internet and broadband availability for rural Alaska. However, this paper proposes a more rigorous framework including not only availability, but more broadly access, and also adoption, and examines how these concepts apply to Alaska natives. The paper also examines other elements of digital diversity, including innovation in applications and content, ICT entrepreneurship, and participation in telecommunications policy-making
A comparative study of mobile technology adoption in remote Australia
The paper presents a comparative study of mobile technology adoption\ud
and use by two communities – one Aboriginal and the other non-Aboriginal –\ud
both located in a remote region of Australia, the Bloomfield River Valley of Cape\ud
York. Both communities have high levels of ownership of mobile phones relative\ud
to, on the one hand, the low uptake of other ICT such as fixed-line phones by the\ud
Aboriginal community at Wujal Wujal and, on the other hand, the poor mobile\ud
coverage in the non-Aboriginal community at Bloomfield. For both groups\ud
communication is of paramount importance, followed by listening to music. In\ud
addition, the Aboriginal community make extensive use of other multimedia and\ud
Internet features of their devices. Key factors in the motivation to acquire mobile\ud
phones, in comparison to other ICT, are the superior cost management that\ud
mobiles offer for Aboriginal people and the convenience of being able to\ud
communicate while away from home for Bloomfield residents. The authors\ud
conclude that mobile technology needs to be taken seriously, even in areas of\ud
limited coverage such as the Bloomfield River Valley
Early experience of mobile telephony: A comparison of two villages in Papua New Guinea
This paper examines social change following the recent introduction of mobile telephony into rural communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It presents the findings of substantial fieldwork conducted in 2009, and suggests ways in which the new technology is already changing people’s lives and relationships. The paper identifies the roles of mobile telephones in two communities, the changes taking place, and how villagers are responding to them. Comparison of the two villages is strategic as it highlights similarities in perceptions of mobile phones in these two very different settings. An ethnographic approach is adopted, situated within an interpretative methodology. Data collection methods include semi-structured interviews, orally-administered surveys and participant observation. The theoretical lens is focused on the ‘communicative ecology’ concept, which stems from the communication research tradition. This research is significant as it addresses changes currently occurring in the communication methods of whole communities
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Grassroots initiated networked communities: a viable method of overcoming multiple digital inequalities within communities of locality?
After Broadband: A Study of Organizational Use of Broadband in Southwest Alaska
The purpose of this research was to gain a preliminary understanding of how organizations
including large and small businesses, Native corporations and organizations, and local and
regional governments are using broadband that is now available in much of southwest Alaska.
To learn about community access to broadband, interviews were also conducted with library and
school staff in communities where broadband had been installed under the OWL (Online with
Libraries) program. Further, the study identifies research from other sources that could help to
predict what socio-economic impacts the availability and adoption of broadband may have in
rural Alaska.
Financial institutions use online connections for teller services and credit and debit card
processing, and stated that more people in rural communities now have debit cards that they can
use for online purchases and bill paying. Large retailers use online services for payroll, for pointof-sale
(POS) transactions, and online ordering. Seafood processors rely heavily on connectivity
with their head offices (generally in the lower 48) for administrative services including payroll,
accounting, shipping and receiving, purchasing, and ERP (enterprise resource planning), and
access data base software to track fish tickets. Seafood processors also provide Internet access
for their employees, most of whom are seasonal and from other states or countries.
Tourism businesses use broadband for online reservation systems and for guests, who
increasingly demand connectivity even for remote vacations. Village corporations and tribal
councils use online services to help their residents obtain hunting and fishing licenses and fishing
permits, to learn about funding opportunities, and to file reports on grants.
Local Governments connect online for interoffice communications and for payroll and other
administrative functions. Other online applications and services include providing remote
desktop access from other agency sites, use of online tools for land management and mapping,
training including webinars for workforce development, and providing access to social services
for clients. An economic development organization sends newsletters to communities
electronically and packets of documents to its board members rather than relying on fax or
courier.
Websites are important for tourism-related businesses to advertise and promote their
businesses and for nonprofits and local governments to provide information about their services.
5
Broadband now plays many roles in rural education. Most students are required to use the
Internet for class assignments. High school students can connect to classes in advanced subjects
in other communities, and may complete online courses for college credit. Libraries remain
important locations for community access, with residents going online to connect with friends on
Facebook, as well as to download content for e-books, file income tax, and apply for jobs and
government benefits. School and library Wi-Fi provides access inside and near the buildings for
residents with smartphones.
Despite enthusiasm for broadband and the adoption of many broadband-based applications
and services, most organizations interviewed identified problems with broadband, particularly
with the pricing, stating that the terrestrial broadband network is too costly for them to take full
advantage of online services and applications.
While the scope of this study was too limited to estimate long-term benefits, it found that
broadband is highly valued and increasingly important to businesses and nonprofit organizations
and local governments in southwest Alaska. Broadband helps businesses to be more efficient in
their operations and to extend their reach to new customers and suppliers. It also helps to
improve the effectiveness of public sector services such as those provided by borough and city
governments and extends access to education and training. Broadband is also likely to be an
important component of strategies to develop ecotourism and other ecosystem services.Support for this research came from Connect Alaska with funding from the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for the work of the State of Alaska
Broadband Task Force, with additional support from GCI.Executive Summary / Introduction / Research Methodology / Technologies and Technical Support / Broadband Applications / Education and Community Access / Health Care / Benefits of Broadband in Southwest Alaska / Problems and Limitations / Potential Long-Term Social and Economic Impacts / Conclusions and Recommendations / Referemce
A Racial Impact Analysis of HB 936: Accessibility of Electronic Textbooks
The economic and social consequences of the lack of access to technology for students in the Commonwealth of Virginia are real and significant. This report provides a legislative racial impact analysis of House Bill (HB) 936, a proposed bill in the Virginia General Assembly, prohibiting school boards from making electronic textbooks available for students, unless the school board adopts a plan to ensure that e-textbooks are available on or before July 1, 2017. The bill focuses solely on developing a plan for installing prior to implementing electronic textbooks in K-12 classrooms. Electronic textbooks are important as they offer updated content, ease of accessibility, multimedia features to enhance the learning experience, and the ability for educators to customize learning. Delegating this decision to each local school board in Virginia raises important potential racial implications, including the digital divide. Previous research suggests a correlation between the number of students receiving free and reduced lunch and the lack of availability of electronic textbooks. Districts with high rates of students on free and reduced lunch have a high population of minority students. This analysis provides maps that capture the trends on the probability of providing electronic textbooks for high minority areas across the state. The primary recommendation is to advance policy approaches that make electronic textbooks available to all K‐12 students in the Commonwealth of Virginia
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