Exploring the Contribution of Design to Mobile Technology Uptake in a Remote Region of Australia

Abstract : Some of the most remote communities in Australia have participated in a technological revolution since the arrival of mobile phone networks in 2003. We follow this journey in four largely Indigenous communities in Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands, from the first 2G network, to 3G, and finally to mobile broadband and smartphones, looking at its impact on communication, Internet access, new media use and social networking. In seeking to understand this phenomenon, we conclude that aspects of the design of the mobile system have contributed, including the flexibility of the technology to adapt to the needs of varying social groups, the small portable nature of the devices which allows them to serve a traditionally mobile people and to be kept as personal devices, a billing system which serves low income people, and the multifunctionality of the technology which provide entertainment while also supporting their use of Facebook.