COMMUNICATION GLOSSARY

Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA)

Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) was developed by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) and the National Key Centre for Social Applications of Geographic Information System (GISCA). ARIA measures the remoteness of a point based on the physical road distance to the nearest Urban Centre (ASGC 1996) in each of five size classes: Major Cities of Australia; Inner Regional Australia; Outer Regional Australia; Remote Australia; and Very Remote Australia. Each 1km square area is given an ARIA index value. ARIA index values are averaged across Census Collection Districts (CDs), which are then aggregated up into the six ABS Remoteness areas based on the averaged ARIA index. See 'ASGC Remoteness structure'.

ASGC Remoteness structure

The Remoteness structure is used for the production of standard ABS statistical outputs from Population Censuses and some ABS surveys. It is a structure describing Australia in terms of a measurement of remoteness. The Remoteness structure includes all Collection Districts (CDs) and therefore, in aggregate, it covers the whole of Australia. The purpose of the structure is to classify CDs which share common characteristics of remoteness into broad geographical regions called Remoteness Areas (RAs). There are six RAs in this structure: Major Cities of Australia; Inner Regional Australia; Outer Regional Australia; Remote Australia; Very Remote Australia; and Migratory. See 'Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA)'.

Broadband

Broadband access is defined by the ABS as an 'always on' Internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256 Kilobits per second (Kbps). It provides much faster access to the Internet than other services such as dial-up modems. Most other OECD countries define broadband in terms of technology (e.g. ADSL, cable etc) rather than speed.

Employed

Employed persons include all persons aged 15 years and over who, during the reference week:

• worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind in a job or business, or on a farm (comprising employees, employers and own account workers); or worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e. contributing family workers); or


• were employees who had a job but were not at work and were:
  
  • away from work for less than four weeks up to the end of the reference week; or
  
  
  • away from work for more than four weeks up to the end of the reference week and received pay for some or all of the four week period to the end of the reference week; or
  
  
  • away from work as a standard work or shift arrangement; or
  
  
  • on strike or locked out; or
  
  
  • on workers' compensation and expected to return to their job; or
• were employers or own account workers, who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.

Household

A group of one or more persons in a private dwelling who consider themselves to be separate from other persons (if any) in the dwelling, and who make regular provision to take meals separately from other persons, i.e. at different times or in different rooms. Lodgers who receive accommodation but no meals are treated as separate households. Boarders who receive both accommodation and meals are not treated as separate households. A household may consist of any number of families and non-family members.

Indigenous

This refers to people who identified themselves, or were identified by another household member, as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Information and Communication Technology refers to the technologies and services that enable information to be accessed, stored, processed, transformed, manipulated and disseminated, including the transmission or communication of voice, image and/or data over a variety of transmission media.

Inner Regional Australia

Inner Regional Australia is a category in the ASGC Remoteness Structure. Inner Regional Australia is defined as 'CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 0.2 and less than or equal to 2.4'.

Internet

A world-wide public computer network. Organisations and individuals can connect their computers to this network and exchange information across a country and/or across the world. The Internet provides access to a number of communication services including the World Wide Web and carries email, news, entertainment and data files.

Internet access

Availability of lines, points, ports, and modem to subscribers to access the Internet.

Internet use

This refers to the use of the Internet in the 12 months prior to interview. It includes access via mobile phones, set-top boxes connected to either an analogue or digital television, and games machines.

Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia (not to be confused with Major Urban) is a category in the ASGC Remoteness Structure. Major Cities of Australia is defined as 'CDs with an average ARIA index value of 0 to 0.2'. The 'Major Cities of Australia' class includes most capital cities, as well as major urban areas such as Newcastle, Geelong and the Gold Coast.

Not employed

Refers to a combination of those people who are unemployed or not in the labour force. See Work glossary for full definitions of 'unemployed' and 'not in the labour force'.

One-parent family with children

A family consisting of a lone parent and at least one child aged 5-14 years usually resident in the household. The family may also include any number of other dependents, non-dependents and other related individuals.

Outer Regional Australia

Outer Regional Australia is a category in the ASGC Remoteness Structure. Outer Regional Australia is defined as 'CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 2.4 and less than or equal to 5.92'. Outer Regional Australia includes towns and cities such as Darwin, Whyalla, Cairns and Gunnedah.

Remote Australia

Remote Australia is a category in the ASGC Remoteness Structure. Remote Australia is defined as 'CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 5.92 and less than or equal to 10.53'. Examples of Remote Australia include Alice Springs, Mount Isa and Esperance.

Shopping online

People who made purchases of goods or services for private purposes in the last 12 months.

Teleworking/telecommuting

Teleworking includes work taking place away from the traditional office which is facilitated by the use of information and communication technologies on a full-time, part-time or temporary basis.

Very Remote Australia

Very Remote Australia is a category in the ASGC Remoteness Structure. Very Remote is defined as 'CDs with an average ARIA index value greater than 10.53'. Very Remote Australia represents much of central and western Australia and includes towns such as Tennant Creek, Longreach and Coober Pedy. This region is excluded from the following ABS surveys: the Multipurpose Household Survey; the Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities survey; and the Time Use Survey.

Wireless

Wireless access technologies are grouped according to whether they enable fixed or mobile access.

• Fixed wireless is a point to point microwave link, generally building to building or tower to building which allows subscribers within the receiving building to access the Internet. Sender and receiver must be within line of sight and no more than 22 kilometres apart, for example, WiFi, fixed WiMAX, LMDS, MMDS.
• Mobile wireless provides short range high data rate connections between mobile data devices and access points connected to a network, for example: mobile WiMAX; 3G via datacard or USB modem; but excludes Internet connections through mobile handsets.