Digital divide in Canada

The digital divide in Canada refers to the discrepancy that exists between Canadians who have access to information and communication technologies (ICT) and the benefits they provide compared to those who do not.[1] This divide can be the result of many factors, including high costs for technology and online access,[2] differences in the availability of online connectivity resources in different locations across the country,[3] and lacking digital literacy. The digital divide in Canada also stems from income inequality among Canadians and differences in online practices exhibited by those of different age, gender, first language, and cultural background.[4]

The digital divide is greatest in Northern Canada due to the economic and geographical obstacles to setting up high speed internet connections between distant and sparsely populated towns, along with some residents' low digital literacy rates and lack of access to technology.[5]

Various government initiatives are currently being implemented to reduce the digital divide in Canada, including plans aimed at providing all Canadians with affordable high speed internet packages,[6] increasing the amount of free public Wi-Fi available,[7] and the improvement of digital literacy among students in public elementary and high schools.[8]

  1. ^ Sciadas, George (2001). "The Digital Divide in Canada" (PDF). Statistics Canada. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  2. ^ Rajabiun, Reza; Ellis, David; Middleton, Catherine (March 2016). Literature Review: Affordability of Communications Services (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  3. ^ CRTC (2015). "Communications Monitoring Report 2015: Canada's Communications System: An Overview for Citizens, Consumers, and Creators". Government of Canada CRTC. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  4. ^ Haight, Michael; Quan-Haase, Anabel; Corbett, Bradley A (2014). Revisiting the digital divide in Canada: the impact of demographic factors on access to the internet, level of online activity, and social networking site usage (Report). Information, Communication & Society. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  5. ^ Canada's Public Policy Forum (June 2014). Northern connections: Broadband and Canada's digital divide: final report (PDF) (Report). Ottawa, Ontario. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 17 October 2016. {{cite report}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ Government of Canada (2016). "About Connecting Canadians". Digital Canada 150. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  7. ^ CBC News (14 June 2016). "Toronto public libraries, Google to offer free take-home WiFi". Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  8. ^ Government of Canada (2010). "Digital Literacy in Canada: From Inclusion to Transformation". Digital Canada 150. Retrieved 18 November 2016.