4561 - S - First Nations Digital Inclusion Submission Roadmap

The Law Council of Australia thanks the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the Department) for the opportunity to make a submission in response to the Discussion Paper issued by the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group (Advisory Group) entitled First Nations digital inclusion roadmap.1 2. [...] This submission, informed closely by the experience of legal practitioners in RRR areas, focusses on the following aspects: • digital infrastructure in RRR Australia is lacking, undermining the stability of communities and their ability to participate in the contemporary economy; • investment in this infrastructure could promote rights to health, education and work, and contribute to economic self. [...] The NBN’s Sky Muster geostationary satellites are due to come to the end of their operational lives in the early 2030s, and NBN Co has suggested that Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites could be part of the mix to replace this key element of RRR digital service provision.3 Given current trends in satellite technology and benefits to the consumer from LEOs (including lower latency and higher resolutio. [...] Digital inclusion for First Nations and other people living in RRR areas is, in 2024, crucial to support the fulfilment of many economic, social and cultural rights, in relation to which Australia has obligations under a range of United Nations treaties, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights4 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.5 These include right. [...] In addition to the measures recommended above, the Law Council also recommends close monitoring of the efficacy of the Small Amount Credit reforms14 in relation to consumer leases (a) sold in First Nations communities, and (b) relating to telco devices specifically, to ensure that unaffordable leases for these products are not provided to these consumers.