In the last decade, a technological revolution has touched all aspects of business and society in Australia, the Western world, and to a lesser extent, the developing world. This revolution has occurred against a backdrop of long-term fundamental changes in rural Australian communities. The decline in traditional agriculture's terms of trade and resultant employment numbers has seen many communities that were previously reliant on agriculture looking for means to survive. The Internet has been seized on by many as the potential savior for rural Australia. The Internet also poses a significant threat, further opening up communities to global forces outside their control, with potentially damaging effects. This study explores both sides of the equation for rural Australia through chapters on the demand side of Internet access, the digital divide, the Australian business sector and the Internet, the supply side of Internet access in regional Australia, the Internet and the Bush, the Australian information technology and telecommunications sector, e-commerce and regional Australia, regional business and community partnerships, key factors for harnessing the benefits of the Internet, and a final chapter on what the future holds. Seven case studies showcase how many rural communities and businesses are dealing successfully with the Internet. Two appendices describe community-development information technology programs supported by the U.S. and Australian governments. (Contains 23 references.) (TD)