Technological Wealth and the Evaluation of Information Poverty

'Technological wealth' and 'information poverty' have obvious relevance to social equity and quality of life, but there is no methodology for evaluating their impact. Universal diffusion of, and access to, new on-line multimedia services has obvious advantages to commercial players because money can be made, and to community players because social equity objectives can be met. Public interest and commercial needs often converge in electronic markets. This paper outlines a framework for evaluating technological wealth and information poverty in the context of Gungahlin, a new residential community in Canberra. This community has the essential characteristics for diffusion of on-line services, but it is yet to be seen whether such 'model' communities which desire those services actually experience an increased quality of life as a result of receiving them.