Connectivity Literacy encompasses all the knowledge needed by a consumer to understand how to get connected and stay connected to equitable, affordable and reliable voice and broadband internet services that meet their needs and budget. It is a precursor to Digital Literacy and incorporates the knowledge needed to navigate through choice of telecommunications providers and technologies, and to understand terminologies, plans and equipment. Connectivity Literacy is challenging in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) Australia and does not have any demographic barriers such as age, gender, location, or education level. A mixed methods approach using thematic and secondary data analysis was conducted using ten years of data collected to understand the use and understanding of internet services by women, farmers and small to medium enterprises in rural, regional and remote regions across Australia. Surveys, reports and submissions provided quantitative and qualitative data. Thematic analysis was performed on open-ended questions within the data sets, written text and through documented case studies. The findings were overlayed with the Diffusion of Innovation model and considered the extended theory of the Crossing the Chasm to help identify barriers to the adoption of internet-based tools. The analysis has identified the difficulty that consumers and businesses are having navigating rural, regional and remote internet connectivity. It has established a baseline understanding of a new phenomenon identified as 'Connectivity Literacy' (understanding how to get and stay connected), which is a pre-cursor to Digital Literacy (understanding how to use different devices, software, and operating systems). Understanding and applying the concept of Connectivity Literacy provides the opportunity to build critical mass around internet connectivity knowledge and understanding that can advance adoption and innovation in rural, regional and remote areas.
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