The role of telecommunications in facilitating community engagement, social capital and social inclusion

This paper examines the role of telecommunications in sustainable social and economic development of urban, rural and remote communities in the Northern Territory of Australia through the theoretical lens of social capital. Whilst the essence of social capital is quality social relations, the concept intersects with telecommunications and Information Communications Technology (ICT) in a number of ways. The potential of ICT to disseminate information quickly, to reach vast numbers of people simultaneously and to include the previously excluded is immense. Meaningful access to ICT is however, embedded in a complex array of factors encompassing physical, digital, human and social resources and relationships. Consequently, this paper examines the nexus between social relations of mutual benefit, telecommunications access and social inclusion amongst diverse communities. Four communities, which included two urban, a rural and a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory of Australia are the focus of this research paper.