Canada’s Digital Divide By Caroline Scott

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Canada currently ranks 16th globally in terms of internet usage rates. (Freeman, 2014)

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87% of Canadian households are now connected to the internet.

(Freeman, 2014)

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This is an increase of 7% from connected households in 2010.

(Freeman, 2014)

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But what about the other 13% who are still not connected?

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Canada is one of the most connected countries in the world,

but an increasing number of connected households is not

helping eliminate a persistent digital divide present in the

nation. (Freeman, 2014)

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Decreasing/eliminating the digital divide in Canada has the ability to strengthen the

entire country though economic and social benefits.

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There is still a distinct divide between access in urban centers versus rural households and

between income levels.

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The cost of computers, broadband access and the absence of digital skills serve as

barriers to broadband adoption (Speed Matters, 2014).

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95% of Canadians in the highest income quartile are currently

connected (Freeman, 2014).

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While only 62% of the population in the lowest income quartile have

internet access (Freeman, 2014).

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Lightly populated rural areas often lack financial incentive for

internet service providers to invest in costly high speed

telecommunication infrastructure (Speed Matters, 2014).

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Broadband is available to 100% of Canadians in urban areas (Freeman, 2014).

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In rural areas, only 85% of people have broadband available (Freeman, 2014).

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Canadians in Nunavut, a region with just 36,000 residents across a

landmass larger than the size of three Texas states, has the worst levels of connection. Only 27% of communities have internet access

(Freeman, 2014).

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The federal government has stated in this year’s budget that

$305 million in funds over 5 years will be used to provide or improve

high-speed broadband to about 280,000 households and

businesses in areas of Canada that are currently underserved (Freeman, 2014).

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Increased availability of high speed broadband allows students in the

most impoverished inner-city neighbourhoods and distant rural

regions to take advantage of the same internet resources as students in the

most affluent suburbs (Speed Matters, 2014).

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Living on a farm hours away from a library would no longer put students at an

educational disadvantage (Speed Matters, 2014).

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Broadband availability creates

wealth and opportunity for

underserved low-income areas by

attracting businesses that

want to locate near a high speed

internet network (Speed Matters, 2014).

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A study by the Brookings Institution shows that for

every percentage point increase in broadband

penetration, employment expands by almost 300,000

jobs (Speed Matters, 2014).

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It is necessary that measures to increase broadband accessibility focus on both densely populated

underserved communities and lightly populated rural regions

(Speed Matters, 2014).

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The spread of broadband should be followed by efforts to make high speed

internet access and computers more affordable (Speed Matters, 2014).

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Programs should educate the population on digital literacy and computer training

(Speed Matters, 2014).

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Improving broadband availability and high

speed internet access across Canada will lead

to great social and economic benefits.

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Sources

• Speed Matters. (2014). Bridging the Digital Divide. Retrieved May 21, 2014 from http://www.speedmatters.org/benefits/archive/bridging-digital-divide/

• Freeman, S. (2014, March 20). Canada’s digital divide persists, CIRA report shows. The Huffington Post, p.1. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/20/digital-divide-canada-broadband-access_n_4995560.html