New Report: “The State of Broadband Internet in Canada”
“From The Library of Parliament, Canada:
Canadians are increasingly using the Internet: according to Statistics Canada, the share of Canadians aged 15 and older using the Internet rose from 83% in 2012 to 91% in 2018. With advances in e‑commerce and mobile communication, the development of e-learning platforms and increased participation in social media, broadband (or “high-speed”) Internet has become an integral part of Canada’s socio-economic infrastructure.
However, as broadband Internet speeds increase, so does the “availability gap” in terms of access to information and communication technologies between Canada’s urban and rural areas, sometimes referred to as a “digital divide.” This creates two classes of users: the technology “haves” and “have-nots.” The Government of Canada has been working in recent years to develop programs aimed at eliminating or at least narrowing this digital divide.