8179.0.55.002 - Discussion Paper: Consultation on topics emerging from submissions to the Information and Communication Technology Statistics Review, May 2015  
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Definitions

Stakeholder submissions emphasised the necessity for the ICT Review to define key terms in a way that enables benchmarking and comparison against international data sets. The Review Team identified two international frameworks which provide definitions applicable to the Australian context. These frameworks are sourced from:

  1. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (in particular the publication ‘Measuring the Digital Economy: A New Perspective 2014), and
  2. The United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

While a number of extant definitions were found suitable, the following definitions have been updated and are proposed for use across all ICT statistics:
  1. Digital Economy – The global network of economic and social activities that are enabled by platforms such as the internet, mobile and sensor networks, including e-commerce, efforts to achieve efficiency and productivity in production processes, inventory and knowledge management.
  2. Digital Platform – The infrastructure and networks in place to enable the function and delivery of digital technologies and communications services.

In addition, the definition of broadband is under consideration, specifically concerning whether the OECD definition meets contemporary needs. The broad international definition stipulates that ‘…both fixed and mobile connections [have] an advertised download rate of at least 256kbps’ to be considered broadband. The ICT Review notes that some countries have adopted higher minimum cut-off speeds, and is considering whether this is of benefit in Australia’s case.

The ICT Review welcomes further input to refine these definitions and will conduct outreach to individual stakeholders as appropriate.