"Information & Communication Technology in rural communities - Is the Net working?" is a workshop examining the current and potential role of information and communication technologies in rural communities. The Workshop will concentrate on multi- and inter-disciplinary research contributions from several countries. Themes include: Rural communities and their innovative adaptation and creation of ICT-enabled initiatives;the use of a global medium for the support and enhancement of place-based networks and communities;the building and sustaining of social capital in rural areas, in the context of the Information Society.

Digital communications networks such as the Internet are changing the way people interact with each other, with profound effects on social relations and institutions. Yet many remain excluded from access and meaningful participation. It is timely to consider who is included, who is excluded and what we now know about the composition and activities of online communities.

Internet Research (IR) 4.0 will feature a variety of perspectives on Internet, organized under the theme Broadening the Band. As in previous conferences, the aim is to develop a coherent theoretical and pragmatic understanding of the Internet and those that are empowered and disenfranchised by it. IR 4.0 will bring together prominent scholars, researchers, creators, and practitioners from many disciplines, fields and countries for a program of presentations, panel discussions, and informal exchanges.