In the Cape York community of Wujal Wujal, local service providers used to hold their breath every time a big storm rolled in. Cloud cover could knock out their satellite internet just when they needed it most.
Since installing Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite service, however, everything from video calls to uploading files has become far more reliable – even in heavy rain. People report there is now no lag, whereas with the previous service, Sky Muster, even cloud cover could cause the internet to stop working.
Reliable connectivity is crucial in an emergency. When nearly half the buildings in Wujal Wujal were destroyed by the December 2023 flood following Cyclone Jasper, and the fibre-optic cable was broken, Starlink provided the only reliable communications in the aftermath.
Examples like this help explain why Starlink has grown so quickly in remote Australia. With high speeds, low latency and data that works in wet weather, it has become the preferred option for agencies and businesses frustrated with older technologies. There are now more than 200,000 Starlink subscriptions in Australia, compared with about 80,000 NBN Sky Muster services.
But our research as part of the Mapping the Digital Gap project shows Starlink is creating a new kind of digital divide in remote First Nations communities – not just between cities and the bush, but within communities themselves. A small minority now enjoy fast, reliable Starlink, while First Nations households predominantly use prepaid mobile services, where mobile is available, with high-priced but limited data.
Twice the rate of digital exclusion – and worse in remote communities
The new Mapping the Digital Gap 2025 outcomes report finds First Nations Australians are twice as likely as other Australians to be digitally excluded.
Nationally, using the Australian Digital Inclusion Index measure out of 100, First Nations score on average 63.4, where non–First Nations Australians average 73.9 – a “digital gap” of 10.5 points. In the very remote communities we visited, this gap more than doubles to 24.2, with three in four people digitally excluded.
Access to reliable and affordable connectivity and devices is the biggest driver. Access scores in very remote First Nations communities sit 42.4 points below those of non-First Nations Australians – far larger than gaps for affordability or digital ability.
There is some good news. Digital ability has improved by nearly nine points in two years, and daily internet use has risen from 44% to 62%. But this still lags far behind other Australians, 95% of whom go online daily.
In short, people are trying harder than ever to get online – but face barriers of infrastructure, pricing and limited digital support.
