Option 2
This is a photo I took while working at a remote indigenous community Of Nitjpurru (Pigeon Hole) in the NT. It is around 420km SW of Katherine. The community has about 80 indigenous community members and 3 to 4 non indigenous community members. It is regularly cut off in the wet season for up to 4 months of the year. Wet season access is by light aircraft charters with a weekly mail plane and visit by a fly in nurse and a fortnightly visit by a doctor.
There are 2 public phones, no mobile coverage and only the shop, clinic and school had internet access. Only the school provided regular access to the internet.
Access by the community to online banking, social media and other online activities was on the whole non-existent. The school by providing wireless access and access to school computers outside of school hours helped to solve some of these.
Along with this though was the need to develop community members’ digital literacy to access the technology to enable them to access banking or to do their tax online (many used tax agents costing over $180 for preparing a return that was not needed).
Many community members had mobile devices that they couldn’t use outside of larger communities or towns. By providing access in a limited way (due to restrictions placed on access to sites and bandwidth issues) community could begin to use these devices to share information to family in other communities.
This lack of access to digital technologies exist in many communities and hinder the opportunities of these communities to develop.
The opportunity to install satellite internet for community was begun to be discussed with members considering the issue of where to install it, access, supervision, cost and responsibility for running and maintaining equipment.
Another problem that arose was the demand on myself to assist multiple people wanting to know how to connect. This was solved by developing students capabilities. #Task1

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