Offering education by distance provides an important sociological tool for equalising opportunities in developed nations. However, for developing nations and more particularly some of the least-developed countries in the world, it has the potential to play a much larger role in providing both basic and advanced educational opportunities and, therefore, should be viewed as a necessity rather than an option. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of distance education (DE) systems in three different countries -- Bangladesh, Australia and the UK. Although commonalities and differences were evident between the three systems, a number of unified constructs and associated thematic propositions emerged, and resulted in the identification of an innovative theoretical model. The 'Adapting Structuration Theory In Distance Education (ASTIDE)' model, conceptualised as part of a broader study, provides an underlying theoretical basis for effective DE provision across the world.