Post Tagged with: "Digital Divide"

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The LawBytes Podcast, Episode 51: Canada’s Urban-Rural Broadband Divide – Josh Tabish on CIRA’s Internet Performance Data

The state of Internet access in Canada has been the subject of considerable debate in recent years as consumers and businesses alike assess whether Canada has kept pace with the need for universal access to fast, affordable broadband. What is now beyond debate is that there are still hundreds of thousands of Canadians without access to broadband services from local providers and that for those that have access, actual speeds may be lower than advertised and below the targets set by the CRTC, Canada’s broadcast and telecommunications regulator.

CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, manages the dot-ca domain and has played an increasingly important role on Internet policy matters. CIRA recently submitted a report on the urban-rural broadband divide as part of a CRTC process on potential barriers to broadband in underserved areas. Josh Tabish from CIRA joins me this week on the podcast to discuss the IPT, the CRTC submission, and the future of universal access to broadband in Canada.

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May 19, 2020 4 comments Podcasts

Statscan Data Points to Canada’s Growing Digital Divide

Statistics Canada released its bi-ennial Internet use survey last week and while much of the immediate reaction focused on the continuing growth of Internet use (due largely to increased usage by those aged 65 and older), my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) argues the bigger story is the ongoing Canadian digital divide that confirms the strong link between household income and Internet use.

Statscan reports that 83 per cent of Canadians use the Internet, yet a closer examination of the data reveals a significant gap that is closely correlated to income. Moreover, the data also shows that Canada’s high wireless prices now play a role in the digital divide, with only a quarter of lower-income Canadians using Internet wireless services.

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November 5, 2013 5 comments Columns

Statscan Data Points to Canada’s Growing Digital Divide

Appeared in the Toronto Star on November 2, 2013 as Statscan Data Points to Canada’s Growing Digital Divide Statistics Canada released its bi-ennial Internet use survey this week and while much of the immediate reaction focused on the continuing growth of Internet use (due largely to increased usage by those […]

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November 3, 2013 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

The Canadian Digital Divide: The Experience Just North of Toronto

Soon after the publication of my column on the digital divide in Canada, I received the following email from a reader, who lives just north of Toronto (FWIW, I’ve received similar letters from people within the City of Ottawa limits). The reader reacts to both the lack of access and the efforts of Xplornet to stop the government from supporting communities without access. The letter ends with an important question: will the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology take the time to hear directly from Canadians without access?  The full letter is posted below with permission.

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April 12, 2013 41 comments News

Globe on Canada’s Digital Divide

The Globe and Mail featured a lengthy story on Canada's digital divide over the weekend, noting the challenges for many rural communities in Canada seeking Internet access.

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April 5, 2010 4 comments News