Abstract: This report indicates that Aboriginal people in central Australia with limited access to fixed telecommunication services are turning to mobile phones as a way of accessing basic telecommunications services. Background: Central Australia is vast region, with Alice Springs as the main service centre. The region has a population of around 40,000 people, 38% of whom are Aboriginal people who tend to be highly mobile. The Aboriginal population can be divided into three main groups: ● People from remote regions, who live in 260 or so communities over a vast distance. Visitors from these regions often travel into Alice Springs ● Town Camp residents. Alice Springs has 19 'Town Camps', which are small Aboriginal communities within the boundaries of Alice Springs, and ● Alice Springs urban residents, which includes Aboriginal people living in privately owned or rented accommodation, and those in public housing. Aboriginal people in all three groups face significant barriers and disadvantage, including in relation to income, employment, education and health. Telecommunications services in the region are limited. In remote regions, there are limited residential phone services in communities, and public phones are not available on many communities. In Alice Springs, public telephones are available in thirteen out of nineteen Town Camps, with home phone services generally available in urban areas but generally not available in Town Camps. Mobile phone coverage is available in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Ti-Tree, Yuendumu, Mutitjulu, Hermannsburg, Santa Teresa and Ali Curung. As Aboriginal people appeared to be increasingly turning to mobile phones as a way of accessing basic telecommunications services, the Central Land Council commissioned Tangentyere Council to conduct this study on patterns of mobile phone use among low income Aboriginal people. Cultural expertise was used in the design, conduct and analysis of the research, enhancing the validity of the study.