This research approaches digital inclusion as a complex issue with intersecting factors that affect a family’s levels of inclusion. The term 'divide' can position people as either 'haves' or 'have nots' on either side of this divide. The term 'divide' acknowledges that while gains have been made, especially in relation to access and affordability, there is a deepening gap between those who are digitally included and those who are at risk of being left behind by the digital economy.

A major challenge for low-income families as they aim to participate in the digital society is the precarious position they are often in with regard to housing, employment, and access to health services and other social infrastructure. The digital divide, then, is not just a technological divide, but is made complex by social and economic disadvantage.

This document profiles the digital divide in northern Queensland.